Source of Magic by Moonsilver
by BrokenChosenofEva
Summary: Written several years ago by an author named Moonsilver, this is a wonderful "Slice-of-life" fanfiction that follows Kagome attending College where she meets the gang, growing friendships and struggling with normal college life and being the Source of Magic, a person who can shift the balance of Magical energy to "Good" or "Bad" based on whom they eventually marry. [!Unedited!]
1. Chapter 1

**I want some opinions on this:**

**I read, several years ago, a well written Inuyasha fanfic called "Source of Magic" by Moonsilver. It's an AU, occurring in the modern world, following Kagome as she attends a mixed college -"magic" and "mundane"- where she meets everyone over the time she is there. It's a fun, "slice-of-life" fiction, and I wondered recently if it was still around. I've not been able to find it on this site, and I feel it's a loss to Fanfiction in general and Inuyasha fanfiction specifically on this site. Luckily, I have a tendency to collect stories I've greatly enjoyed, and I have the whole story saved.**

**So my question is thus: Would you guys be against me posting it here, keeping the original format and any Author Notes along with their "By me!" at the beginning of each chapter? [I've left a thread on a forum here asking much the same]**

**My copy, unfortunately for me -or fortunately, as it makes it easier to post- is all in 90 -yes, NINETY- notepad files, so I'm not sure of the total word count.**

**As a test, here is the first Chapter. PLEASE review, let me know if sharing more of their story is to your liking, or if I should stop and pull it off FFnet.**

**.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!  
>by "Silver"<p>

Source of Magic

Chapter 1

First Day

Kagome pulled the new trunk in behind her. The golden handle cut her hand so she was glad to let go of it. Turning, she sat down heavily on it and looked around the room. Home sweet home for the next few months, she thought.

It was okay as dorm rooms went. She was sharing it with another girl, but Melinda's stuff was already there and unpacked. Melly, as she had told Kagome to call her, had gone to find a vending machine.

They had two single beds, one lengthwise against each wall. At the bottom of the bed, Kagome had a trunk. Behind the door was a small closet which Kagome had to fill with the stuff in the trunk. There was a small bureau beside the closet. At the other end of the room were two windows. In between the windows were two long bookshelves. Above the beds were two desks facing the wall. Melly had already purchased a small refrigerator and told Kagome they could share it if Kagome would buy her own sodas.

Kagome heaved herself off the trunk and unfastened the latches. Her first classes were tomorrow and she'd better get her room settled.

Kagome groaned as she woke up and remembered that today was the day. She dressed and found her roommate still asleep. Even though Kagome had tripped over a shoe and shrieked, she had begun snoring. Amazing, Kagome thought. She snores louder than Buyo!

She picked up her backpack from the floor and fumbled her class schedule out of the front pocket. "Okay," she muttered to herself as she walked out of the door, "I've got English Composition at nine. I leave that class at nine fifty. I run to Art History II which starts at ten. I stay there until ten fifty. Then I have until one to get lunch. At one I'm supposed to be in Meditation."

Kagome looked up. "And that's it until tomorrow. Math at nine thirty to ten forty-five and Magical Diagrams at twelve thirty to one forty-five. Piece of cake."

She shoved the schedule into the back pocket of her jeans and walked down the hall. Breakfast was first on the list and then finding her way around campus.

She looked inside her first classroom. It was a fairly simple rectangle. The door was straight ahead with the teacher's desk and blackboard to her left. There were two windows in the back and five rows of desks. Kagome wrinkled her nose at the desks. They were pretty to look at, but the molded chair and seat combinations weren't too great for working on. The desks weren't big enough to hold both a book and a notebook. You ended up holding the book in your lap and taking notes on top of the desk.

Kagome slid into a royal blue seat in the row against the wall closest to the door. No one's here yet, she thought. She glanced at the clock. Class doesn't start until nine. It's twenty-five minutes before.

She began reviewing what she'd learned. There's main street. In her mind she saw the gray street dividing her doorm and the college campus. On one side of main street is my dorm. On the other is the university.

To get to the cafeteria, I have to walk across main street, turn right and walk halfway down the block. I go across the next street, through the student center, and the cafeteria is up the stairs. If I walk completely through the building, I end up in a courtyard. On the other side of that courtyard is this building. I've got to find out what these buildings are called.

She reached into her back pocket for her schedule and rummaged in her backpack for the map she'd printed off. The campus was on two blocks for the most part. The main block was right in front of her dorm. The library was on the upper right hand corner. In the middle to the top were the science buildings. On the bottom left corner was another building that had most of the offices in it, but there were a few classrooms. On the block on the right, there was the computer center in the upper left hand corner. The cafeteria building was in the middle on the left hand side. On the right hand corner, spanning almost up to the middle of the right edge, was the building she was in now. There was a big park and then the next block over to the right was the 'boarding school'.

Kagome grinned. What most of the town thought was a boarding school was really a mage university.

"Um?"

Kagome looked up to find a tall, black-haired girl in a deep green shirt looking nervously at her. "Yes?"

"Is this English composition?" Kagome nodded and the girl sighed. "I've got the right room then."

Kagome smiled. "I'm trying to figure out where the rest of my classes are, too."

The other girl took a few steps into the room. "Would you mind if I sat there?" She pointed to the seat next to Kagome.

Kagome shook her head. "Go ahead."

The girl sat down and turned to Kagome. "I'm Sango."

"Kagome," she introduced herself. "I'm trying to figure out where my art history class is."

Sango leaned over and Kagome adjusted the map. Eventually Sango pointed. "Isn't it there?"

Kagome groaned. "It's beside the library. How am I supposed to get from here to there in ten minutes?"

The girls began discussing whether it would be easier to go through the student center or to go around and hope to find another way. The students filtered in and the teacher arrived five minutes before classes started. The two girls discovered that they had Math together tomorrow at nine thirty.

"Good morning," the teacher said. "My name is Amy Norton. Is this your first college course?" Everyone raised their hands. She smiled. "Let me relieve a few of your fears now. College is not that hard. You should have lots of free time as long as you don't dawdle with your homework."

There was some nervous laughter and then she continued. "I'm passing out your syllabus." She took a pile of papers from her desk and began counting out how many to give to each row. "We'll go over this today and you'll see what we'll be doing this semester. It's okay to feel overwhelmed. Throughout your college years, you'll find that homework comes and goes in waves. You may have a week of nothing but a few light reading assignments. The next week, you may have two papers assigned to you. It becomes easier with practice."

When the syllabi were passed out, Amy went over them. Kagome was surprised to see that it really didn't look that difficult. There was a final paper at the end and a few practice papers scattered, but not that many. Amy quickly explained that most papers in college were three single-spaced pages long. When she asked for a 5-6 page double-spaced paper, she was really asking for two and a half to three pages. There were chapter reading assignments for every week.

Amy smiled. "I know we've only been in class a little over half an hour, but that's all I had planned for today. Wednesday, we'll have a full length class. I'd like you to read the chapter for next class. Any questions?"

There weren't any, but Amy remembered a few last things. "For my commuter students, don't come to class if the roads are bad. If it starts to snow while you're in class and you think it will end up bad weather, go home. Food and drinks are allowed in the classroom. I'd rather have to talk over a couple of bags rustling than stomachs rumbling. Class dismissed."

The two girls waved to each other and ran off to their next classes. Kagome walked hurriedly, almost jogging, to Art History II. Sango strode away from her first class to find out where her Environmental Science class would be at eleven.

Kagome heard more of the same from Hiko, her art history professor. She got the impression that he liked to talk to hear his own voice and he was conceited, but it sounded like he knew his subject well.

Her stomach rumbled after that class so she went to the cafeteria to find something to eat. She paused outside to read the board. For breakfast, she had just plucked an apple from the bowl and paid for it with her point system. She had a meal card and points. For meals, she used the card which subtracted meals. For everything else, the card subtracted points. She had Plan 2. Fifteen meals with $100 in points.

Lunch today was a choice between Italian Vegetable Soup and California Bean Soup, Italian Grinder, Vegetable Quesadilla, Broccoli Noodle Bake, Spinach, Macaroni with White Cheddar, and Caesar Wrap.

Kagome's eyes widened. This was much better than she had expected. She approached the room, got her tray, and presented herself in line. She chose a wrapped Italian Grinder, got a scoop of Broccoli Noodle Bake and a scoop of Macaroni with White Cheddar, and chose a bottle of fruit juice from the cooler. She gave the cashier her card and sat down at the first available table.

Halfway through her meal, the little red-haired person who had served her came over. He sat quickly and asked, "Are you enjoying your meal?"

Kagome nodded. "Very much. I don't even like broccoli that much."

He smiled. "Thank for the compliment. Let me know if there's anything you don't like. Maybe it can be changed." He got up and walked to another table to ask the same questions.

Kagome finished her meal and went to find her way around the Mage University.

She walked across the park and into the Mage University's parking lot. It looked like a normal school to anyone who was expecting to see one. To someone who knew what they were looking for, it didn't. It was a bit like seeing a white house from a distance, then when you got up closer you discovered it was a pale blue. It was built out of stone with gargoyles and other fanciful architecture. Ivy grew up the wall and Kagome entered through the main door. A helpful administrative assistant gave her a map and she began.

It was eleven thirty when she started. An hour later, she was still lost. If I don't find it soon, Kagome thought, I'm going to be late!

She ran around the corner, still looking down at the map. She collided with something and fell down. Kagome raised her head and looked down into yellow eyes. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked, backpedaling away on hands and feet.

The boy got up and snorted. "I bet."

Kagome bristled. "Hey, I said I was sorry and I meant it." She looked for her map.

The boy picked it up and handed it to her. "All right. You're sorry you were running around the halls like a maniac. Why?"

Kagome looked at him blankly. He sighed. "Why were you running? Something chasing you?"

"No. I'm due in class and I can't find it."

"Which room?"

"Blue Willow," Kagome said after consulting her course schedule.

He looked at her. "Come on." He began walking and Kagome trotted after him a few steps to catch up.

"I'm Kagome."

"Inuyasha."

Kagome glanced at his head. "Mind if I ask why you've got those?"

Inuyasha looked at her hand pointing up to his ears. "I'm part youkai. That's a japanese dog demon."

"Youkai is the word for dog demon?"

"No, youkai is demon. Inuyoukai is dog demon."

"Oh."

Inuyasha stopped in front of a door. "This is Blue Willow."

Kagome's eyes lit up. "Thank you!" She walked in and was surprised when Inuyasha followed.

"I'm in meditation, too," he told her and chose a mat on the floor.

Kagome grinned. They were giant inter-locking puzzle pieces on the floor. She chose a white piece and noted that Inuyasha was on a red piece.

Other students walked into the classroom and a very tall teacher followed. He was thin with black hair and dressed in black. "Good afternoon," he said quietly. "This is meditation. I am Aoshi Shinomori. We will begin by learning how to breath."

Kagome walked up the steps to her floor and went to her door. She opened it to find her roommate inside sitting on her bed. Melly grinned at her and gestured grandly with her right hand. "You've already got things from your admirers."

Kagome groaned and peeked into the room. Flowers, cards, and candy were piled on her bed. She walked into the room and grabbed the box of trashbags off the bottom shelf of her bookcase. She pulled on a pair of gloves and began tossing things into it.

"You're throwing it all away? Without even reading the notes? Some of them might be sincere," Melly asked with interest.

Kagome shook her head. "The chocolates and flowers will probably be spelled with a love potion or at least a spell to make more receptive to them."

"What about the cards?" Melly asked.

"I could be reading a card and it could have an underlying spell. Too dangerous."

Melly shrugged. "Your choice. I'm going out shopping. Did you want to come?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nah. I'm going to clean this mess up and get started on homework for the next class."

After the mess was cleaned up, Kagome began thinking about the day. The courses weren't too bad. The situation surrounding the school was a bit...uneasy.

It had started before the universities were started and long before Kagome was born. There are two factions of mages, good and evil. Even those names are tentative. A mage casting a typically 'evil' spell to save a life... Are they a good mage or a evil mage?

To do spells, the mage has to have power or magical energy. Small spells can come from the person's energy, but for larger ones the mage needs an outside source. The two factions of mages had a common source for this energy and both had equal access to it. It was within reaching distance of both factions.

Around the same time, both sides decided they didn't want this source so far away. They each wanted it closer to them and further away from the opposing side. There was a war and many mages died.

It ended when the prophetess Kikyo called these two groups to her. She told them to stop their fighting because she had foreseen the answer.

"There will be a woman. She will fall in love and marry one of you. Whoever she willingly falls in love with and willingly marries, their faction will have the closer access."

There were a few murderous looks among the mages and she continued. "This will not stay the same forever. When this woman has a child, they will be the Source of Magic. At the time that child falls in love and marries, the magic will have the opportunity to shift again."

"The person the Source of Magic falls in love with will not be killed. To do so would start the war over again. I have spoken."

The two factions looked at each other and decided it was a pretty good solution. They'd have an equal chance. "Who is this woman?" they asked.

Kikyo smiled. "I."

Kikyo married a evil mage. Her daughter married an evil mage. Kikyo's grandson, however, married a good mage.

So it has continued. Those who are the Source of Magic are born with the Shikon no Tama inside them. Kagome was born with this instead of her younger brother, Souta.

Kagome grinned. Now to the other part of the equation. Most of the town sees the boarding school as a boarding school. About 65% of the normal university students see it that way. The other 35% know what it is. A few take classes over there, some are getting double majors, and some take no classes at all.

I'm taking my courses here for my degree and taking most of my electives over there. I'm the one who decides which faction gets the closer access. She looked grumpily at the trash bag. I also get to have my bed loaded down with presents that I don't want.

Kagome frowned. You would think I'd be this powerful mage. No, instead I get small powers. I can do most of the introductory spells. If I wasn't the Source of Magic maybe I'd be like Souta. He's only twelve and he's already doing the stuff I'll be learning in college!

She shrugged. But I'm not affected by much. I can't do the higher level magic, but I'm not greatly affected by it, either. That's something in the plus column.

She levered herself off of the bed and rustled in her backpack. "I'd better get started on Wednesday's homework," she muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

**This was written by Moonsilver, ****_not me_****!**

**What I mean by "Unedited" in the summary is that I did NOTHING to the story, it is exactly as Moonsilver wrote it several years ago.**

**Enjoy!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 2

The Special

Sango ran in the back door, waved to Kaede, and went out to the main floor. She smiled at the group of three entering the restaurant. "Welcome to Special Delicacies. Three for dinner?" They nodded and she led them to a table.

Once the rush was over, Sango walked into the kitchen to help Kaede. Seeing that the older woman had everything under control, she bent to washing the dishes. Tsubame smiled gratefully and left for the evening.

Sango let her hands wash the dishes while she thought about her day. She'd seen Kagome again in math class. It was nice having a person you knew in two classes. It would probably never happen again, but she did like Kagome's company.

She'd spent from eight that morning to noon in classes. Another three hours getting all of her homework done for those classes, two hours of recreational time, and she'd taken off to help with the dinner rush. After these dishes were washed, maybe she'd have a few minutes. She was tired and it was only the second day of classes.

"Sango?" Kirara called. "Do you think you could help with the upstairs for a few minutes? Then you're free."

Sango turned and nodded. "Sure, mom."

Kagome sighed and pulled out her art history book. Maybe she could get a few minutes of reading done.

She was three pages into the new chapter when someone tapped her arm. She looked up into the face of a middle-aged woman. "Are you trying to study?" she asked. Kagome nodded. "Come with me, please."

Kagome frowned, but packed up her book. The woman led her to the back of the room where a sign pointed the way to the restrooms. She turned to the young woman and smiled. "My name's Kirara. It's much quieter upstairs and it's set aside for the students. Go up and someone will be up to ask you if you'd like something."

"Thank you. I'm Kagome."

Kirara smiled wider. "Very happy to meet you." She began walking toward the kitchen and Kagome went upstairs.

Her first impression was that this was very different from the downstairs. It was busy downstairs with people coming and going. The wood floors were the same and the lighting was just as bright, but somehow the upstairs was more homey. There were freestanding tables in the middle, booths on the walls, and some of those booths were curtained off. Backpacks slumped aside chairs and table legs. Students were pointing at books and gesturing with their hands.

Kagome smiled and chose a table. She pulled her art book out of her backpack and began reading.

"Kagome?" a familiar voice said.

She looked up. "Sango?" Kagome asked. The other girl nodded and sat down. "Do you work here?"

Sango grinned. "My mom opened the restaurant up last May. I've been working here all summer. I go to school full time and work the dinner crowd from five to seven."

"You're off now?"

Sango nodded. "As soon as I take care of whoever came up here."

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "That would be me. A lady called Kirara sent me up."

"That's my mom. So what did you want? Did you get a menu?"

"I just came in for a soda and and a snack," Kagome admitted.

Sango stood up. "Do you want a menu or just to come down to the kitchen?"

Kagome put away her history book. "I'll come downstairs."

The two girls went downstairs and Kagome met Kaede. The older woman pronounced Kagome too skinny and began feeding her.

Sango tried to stop her friend, but Kagome insisted on paying for her meal. After she was full, Kagome went back to her dorm room.

That was great, she thought. But I still didn't get my assignment read for tomorrow. She shrugged. I did get away from the adoring fans, though.

When she stepped into her room, she found another four notes on her desk. She tossed them into the trash after putting on her gloves. There was a reason behind this. Her mother had spelled the gloves so that as long as Kagome had them on, she could handle anything. Spell-resistant gloves. Never leave home without them.

Kagome changed for bed and took the book out again. She propped her head up on one elbow as she read from her position on the bed. She closed the book, slid it back into her backpack, and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just had to share another, as the last chapter was rather short.**

**As usual: This was written by Moonsilver, and I'm sharing it here so more of the Inuyasha community can enjoy it like I did. It is unedited, presented to you exactly as I read it years ago.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 3

Homesick

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango asked.

She turned her head a little sluggishly to look at Sango. "Why do you ask?"

"Class has been over for a few minutes and you're still writing down notes," Sango said dryly. She raised her head a little and grinned. "Pardon. You're doodling little skull and crossbones."

Kagome chuckled and began packing her stuff up. "Thanks for letting me know. Now I've really got to run to art history class." She rolled her eyes. "Hiko will think it a great catastrophe if I'm not there when class starts. He'll go on about me missing out on his magnificent lecture."

Sango laughed and slung her backpack on her shoulder. "Okay. I'll see you on Monday?"

Kagome nodded. "Or I'll come down to The Special." Sango waved to Kagome on her way out of the classroom.

"Miss?"

Kagome lifted her head from the table and blinked. What had happened?

"Miss?"

She looked at the owner of the voice. "Yes?"

"This is not the best place for a nap, that it is not."

Kagome's eyes widened. "I fell asleep?" Her eyes darted to her watch. "I'm supposed to be across campus in half an hour!" She began packing her things. "Thank you...?"

"Kenshin Himura."

"Kagome Higurashi." She held out her hand and he shook it. "Thank you so much for waking me up."

"You're welcome. Now I've got to get back to cooking and you have a class to catch. Don't worry about your tray. I'll take care of it." Kenshin went back to the kitchen and Kagome hurried out of the cafeteria.

Inuyasha glanced at the black-haired girl. Aoshi was still leading breathing exercises at the front of the class. He hid a grin. Meditation was supposed to be relaxing, but it wasn't supposed to send you to sleep!

"Hey," he whispered. There wasn't a response from the girl. What was her name again? "Kagome..."

Her head jerked up and she looked at him. She raised an eyebrow. He grinned. "Don't fall asleep."

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. Softening it with a small smile, she went back to listening to Aoshi's deep voice.

Kagome stared in amazement at the one hundred at the top of her math test. She had done it! She had succeeded in conquering the evilness that was math!

"Hey."

What was that? Kagome turned to look at a fellow student. Congratulations for her? Why, thank you!

"Hey! Wake up."

"What?" Kagome said blearily. She looked up into yellow eyes.

Inuyasha shook her again for good measure. "Class is over. Go somewhere and get some sleep. I'm getting tired of waking you up." He shifted the strap on his shoulder into a new position and stomped toward the door.

Kagome covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned again. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the key and opened her door. She automatically looked to Melly's side of the room, but the other girl was out. She yawned again. Good thing, too.

She let her backpack drop to the floor and stumbled toward the bed. A nap sounded really good. She pulled up the covers, climbed into bed, and snuggled in. She fluffed the pillow and closed her eyes.

Someone slammed a door down the hall and her eyes flew open. Her heartbeat raced for a few seconds and then calmed down again. She shut her eyes tighter than before.

"Hey, Tommy! You going to The Special tonight?"

"Yeah!"

Kagome squinched her eyes shut.

All was quiet for a few minutes. Her right foot found that it was uncomfortable in its current position. In trying to find a better one, she ended up with her shirt pinned under her, making it hard to breath normally. She adjusted this.

Her eyes flew open. Did I remember to hand in my homework for math class, she thought. She scrambled out of bed and dove for her backpack. She found her math folder with the blue dolphins on it and flipped it open. Sighing with relief, she discovered that her math homework was missing. She must have handed it in.

She looked back at her bed and sighed. This just wasn't working. Every time she got settled, something woke her up. Even in the middle of the night, there was some odd noise.

Kagome glanced at her backpack. She had enough homework to do. She sighed again. I might as well be doing something constructive if I can't sleep.

Shouldering her backpack, Kagome found her shoes and walked out the door. I wonder if one of the curtained booths to The Special is open...

Inuyasha grumbled as he walked up the stairs again. "Idiot," he muttered. He'd gotten dragged out with his roommate to socialize up here and forgotten his backpack. "Why he thought I needed 'socializing' is beyond me. At least it's Friday night and they're still open."

He reached the top of the stairs and entered the second floor. Practically no one was up here at ten thirty at night. Two girls were in the corner talking, their forgotten textbooks in front of them. A boy was sitting alone with a book in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other.

There it was. Inuyasha navigated the tables and found some industrious person had stuffed his backpack under a chair. He knelt and checked the contents. Everything seemed to be there.

One ear swiveled back at an unexpected sound and he turned. One of the curtained booths was...snoring? Cautiously, he left his backpack and parted the curtain. His eyes narrowed at what he saw.

Kagome's right cheek was down on top of her textbook. Her eyes were closed and she was the one snoring.

I thought I told her to go somewhere and take a nap. I meant her dorm room or somewhere with a bed! Inuyasha shook his head in frustration. He yanked the curtain back to where it was and turned toward his backpack.

The two girls packed up their things and were leaving. Inuyasha darted a glance back at the booth. That would leave her alone up here with a guy. She was asleep and it was almost closing time. What if no one saw her and she spent the night up here?

He snorted. With the way she was sleeping, she wouldn't notice.

He growled and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Turning back to the booth, he pushed back the curtain. Gently, he slid the textbook out from under her head and stuffed it into the waiting backpack by her side. Her passcard for her dorm and dorm key for her door was on a springy rubber chain attached to the front pocket. He took that off and checked where it was.

Geez, he thought as he added her backpack to his shoulder, what does she have in there? Bricks?

He put one knee on the booth and grasped her shoulders. She was limp as a ragdoll and moved easily toward him. Once she was on the edge of the seat, he picked her up and carried her through the room.

The stairs were tricky to navigate with two backpacks and the dead weight of a sleeping girl in his arms, but he managed. Most of the patrons were gone and Kirara looked at him questioningly as he approached the main door.

"She fell asleep upstairs," he said softly. "I'm going to take her back to her dorm."

He jangled the key a little and she smiled. "All right, Inuyasha. Be careful." She opened the door for him and he stepped through.

He walked up the sidewalk and up to the front door of her dorm. The passcard slid easily through the slot and the door unlocked. He pushed against it with his back and maneuvered Kagome inside.

Why am I taking the trouble for this silly girl, he thought. I could have told Kirara that she was upstairs. She would have gotten her home.

He shook his head and began moving up the stairs. You're getting soft.

Inuyasha nudged the door open with his back again and stepped out onto the second floor. Glancing at door numbers, he found the one that matched the key. He looked down. A passcard was one thing. Getting a key into the lock and then freeing a hand to turn it?

Grimacing, he kicked the door softly with his foot. His ears detected movement and he kicked it again. He heard footsteps on the floor and saw the doorknob turn. The door opened and a girl with tousled brown hair looked at him. "Kagome?" she said. "What happened?" she asked.

"Could you move so I can put her down?" Inuyasha said.

Melly moved out of the way and Inuyasha entered the room to stand beside Kagome's bed. Melly moved the blankets so he could set her down and then tucked them around the sleeping girl. "Okay, what happened?" she asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I went to The Special to find my backpack and found her asleep. The place was almost deserted so instead of letting her sleep on her textbook, I thought I'd bring her back here."

Melly smiled. "Thanks." She began sketching a few symbols over Kagome's sleeping form and nodded when none of them lit the air. "Good. No spells on her."

His eyes widened. "I just brought her here. I didn't do anything!"

"I didn't say you did. What if someone else had, though?" Melly said practically. "I wonder why she fell asleep there."

Inuyasha shrugged. "She fell asleep twice today in meditation."

She nodded. "I'll try to let her sleep in tomorrow." Inuyasha stepped toward the door and she didn't stop him. Once he was out of the room, she grinned. "I'll also let her know who brought her home."

Ring! Ring!

A long fingered hand reached for the telephone and curled around it. Hitting the button, he said, "Hello?"

"Hi, Sess."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and focused on the clock. "It is six thirty in the morning, little brother. You'd better be bleeding."

"I've got a favor to ask."

"As long as it isn't faking another allergy..."

"Hey!" Inuyasha objected. "I did have an allergy to baseballs."

Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Of course you did. What is it?" Inuyasha was silent. "You're not going to tell me?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Ah. Would you like to meet me for breakfast?"

Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream?"

"If you leave me alone for the next half hour so I can get ready for the day."

"See you in half an hour. Bye." Inuyasha hung up the phone.

Sesshoumaru put the phone back on the cradle and got up from his bed. "Shower," he muttered to himself.

Inuyasha stuffed the first bite into his mouth and 'mm'd with pleasure. "There are disadvantages to not living with you," he said around the food in his mouth.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "I was in an apartment until this past summer. I wouldn't have had room for you. You are welcome to move in now that I have room."

The fork stopped on the way to Inuyasha's mouth. "Really?"

"I believe this semester is paid for, but spring semester isn't."

Inuyasha's fork continued its journey to his mouth. "Huh. I thought you wanted your privacy."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I do. But I don't have a problem sharing my house with you. You'll only be here four years." He swallowed his orange juice and asked, "Now what was the problem you couldn't explain over the phone?" Inuyasha mumbled something. "Pardon?"

"There's this girl."

"Ah. My brother is having girl problems."

"No!" Inuyasha said loudly. "I said this was hard to explain."

"Plainly."  
>"There's this girl in my meditation class. Kagome Higurashi."<p>

Sesshoumaru held up a hand. "The Source of Magic?"

"I don't know," Inuyasha said shrugging his shoulders.

"There can't be two Kagome Higurashi's just entering this year." Sesshoumaru gestured for Inuyasha to carry on.

"She fell asleep twice last class. I forgot my backpack in The Special yesterday and when I went to get it, I found her asleep in one of the booths. I found her passcard and took her back to her dorm." Inuyasha looked at his brother expectantly.

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. "She's falling asleep where she shouldn't. Is she merely tired or under a spell?"

"Her roommate checked for spells and didn't find anything."

"Let me guess. You want me to see the girl."

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "All right. Finish your breakfast and then tell me which dorm and room number."

Kagome opened her eyes and wondered what the noise was. Something had woken her up. What was it?

Her eyes moved toward the door as someone knocked again. She threw back the covers and walked to the door. Twisting the knob open, she peeked out.

"Kagome Higurashi?" the man said politely. She nodded. "I'm Sesshoumaru. I'd like to speak with you." He eyed what he could see through the door. "I think it would be better if you dressed first, though."

She glanced down and blushed. "Just a minute." She shut the door and began looking for clean clothes. She pulled a pair of jeans, and a blue flowered t-shirt out of the closet. She pulled open the top drawer of the bureau open and got her underthings out. Tossing them on the bed, she looked at the clock. Nine, she thought. Nine? I slept this late?!

After her clothes were on, Kagome hesitantly opened the door again. The man was resting against the opposite wall. He pushed away when he saw her. "Would you like to talk in the public room?" he asked, gesturing left.

She nodded and they entered the floor's public room. Sesshoumaru sat down at one of the four tables and Kagome sat opposite him. He smiled at her. "I'm the mage university's doctor."

Kagome frowned and glanced at the other person in the room. The boy's attention was focused on the television. "Are we supposed to say that?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes. It gets filtered out as a pause when someone who doesn't know overhears it. If you do any," he wiggled his fingers to symbolize magic, "they will notice. If they explain it away, fine. If they don't, you'll need to explain the mage university to them or have one of the professors do it. If they take it well, they can keep the memory. If they don't, we'll remove the memory and replace it with a memory of doing homework or something. Just be careful."

He laced his hands together and rested his chin on them. "Do you remember how you got home last night?"

Kagome frowned. "No."

He nodded. "You were at The Special when my brother found you asleep. Inuyasha," he said to clear up the mystery. "He carried you from there to your dorm room. He also told me this morning that you fell asleep twice in class. So why aren't you sleeping, Kagome?"

She shrugged. "There are noises that I don't know. People slamming doors, music... I worry about homework that I haven't done. Stuff like that." She smiled. "I miss my cat. He used to sleep with me."

"I can't do anything about your cat," Sesshoumaru said. "Dorms usually don't allow animals. I do have a suggestion about the homework. Why not get an assignment planner and keep track of it? Make a star by it when it's done and cross it off when you've handed it in."

He smiled. "The noises I can do something about. There's a very simple spell I can teach you that will let you sleep. It won't block the noises so you will wake up when you have to. The noises will be heard, but they won't wake you unless there's something wrong such as someone trying to get into your dorm room or the alarm clock waking you up." Kagome looked at him hopefully. He stood. "For that lesson, we'd better go somewhere more private." They walked back to her dorm room and he taught her the spell.

That night, Kagome slept fine. Sunday night she slept well and woke with a clear head. She walked into her meditation class and smiled at Inuyasha. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "Forget it."

She rolled her eyes. Macho guys. Can't even accept a thank you... Kagome settled down on her puzzle piece and grinned. She might not have a cat to curl up with at night, but she did have a dog demon watching over her.


	4. Chapter 4

**This story is 90 chapters long, and I'm thinking I'll be posting two at a time every day. Or I'll try to, some days I may not get on my computer.**

**Enjoy!**

**As always: This was written by Moonsilver, and I have done no editing.**

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 4

Burn Marks

Kirara shook her head. "I don't know what it is," she said to her daughter.

Sango sniffed at the air. "It doesn't smell like anyone's been smoking cigarettes."

"I don't think cigarettes would cause a scorch mark like that," she said, gesturing to the large black mark. "It looks more like someone took a blowtorch to the table." She sighed. "We'll just have to watch and see if we can catch whatever they're doing."

Sango noticed the young man right away. One hand brushed an errant lock of black hair out of his way. He was dressed in a pair of deep blue jeans and a black shirt with the first two buttons undone. He smiled at her as she approached. "Might I know where the students sit?" he asked smoothly.

She nodded. "This way." So, she thought, he's a student. He looks about my age. Maybe he's just finishing up college? Sango was aware that about three-quarters of the students fell between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. The rest were various ages with some being in their middle years and a select few being older than that. She was getting a late start on her college career at twenty-three.

She shrugged. It didn't mean she couldn't be friends with Kagome and she was pretty sure the girl was eighteen. It wasn't that much of an age difference.

"Can I bring you a menu?" she asked as he entered the room.

"No, thank you," he said politely. "But I wouldn't mind a soft drink."

"We have Coke, Diet Coke, Sunkist, and Sprite," Sango offered.

"A Sprite will be fine."

Sango returned with his drink a few minutes later. He smiled as she put it down on the table. "Might I ask when closing hours are?"

"It's Saturday night so we'll close at eleven. We're open until eleven on Friday and Saturday, but during the week we close at ten."

He nodded. "Thank you. If you'll pardon me, I see some students I ought to speak to." He rose and walked to a curtained off booth.

Sango frowned. That's strange. If it's curtained, how did he see them? She shrugged. He probably saw them before the curtain was moved.

Kirara closed the register for the night. She could hear Kaede in the kitchen making sure the pots were hanging in their right places. Sango was just finishing wiping down the tables.

"Ahem."

Sango turned toward the voice. The young man she'd seen upstairs had come down. She thought she'd seen him go out, but never mind that now. "I'm sorry," she said politely. "I thought you'd left before this."

He smiled. "No, actually I haven't paid for my drink yet."

Kaede called from the kitchen. "Good night, Kirara! Sango!" The two ladies heard the back door shut as the older woman left the restaurant.

He dug the appropriate change out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. "I have to confess that I have another reason for staying behind," he said sheepishly. "I'm sure that you've noticed the burn marks upstairs on your tables? I stayed to clean those up for you. I've warned the students that they have to be more careful in the future."

Sango frowned. "So it was cigarettes?"

He coughed. "No. Let me introduce myself. I'm Prof. Miroku. I teach at the mage university."

Kirara blinked. "The what?"

"I'm from the mage university," Miroku repeated patiently. "I think the best proof of that would be for us to go upstairs so you can see that the burn marks are gone." He turned and walked back toward the stairs.

Kirara hesitated, but followed him. Sango raised an eyebrow over the whole confusing mess and tagged along.

He went directly to the booth in question and pointed. "See? It's gone." Kirara saw that, but still gave him a skeptical look. Miroku stepped a few paces away from her and said, "This is what they were trying to do." He held out a cupped palm, focused intently on it for a few seconds, and a small flame burst into life.

Kirara's eyes widened and she backed away. Miroku cupped his hand over the flame and held up his hands disarmingly. "Believe me now?" he asked.

"Why don't you explain further?" she said cautiously. "I'm sure that I could find a magician somewhere in the world who could do what you just did without claiming magic as the cause."

Miroku nodded and sat down at a table. "It is magic," he began. "People who do magic are commonly called mages. There is a university in town that you know as a boarding school. I am a professor there. Any questions?"

"Yes," Sango said dryly. "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"What proof should I offer?" Miroku asked. "Would you care to see the tables levitate? I've already shown you fire."

Kirara stared at him warily. "You can't read minds, can you?"

He laughed. "No. I can tell by the way you're acting that you're not sure what to make of me, but that's all. You can come to the university and see for yourself if what I'm telling you is true." He raised a hand and the chair beside Kirara moved. "Otherwise, I can do tricks all night. I'll admit that my magical area is cleaning up messes and doing protective magic, but I'll find something you'll believe."

"Say that we believe you," Kirara said. "You're a mage and there's a mage university. What then?"

He shrugged. "Then nothing. If you happen to find any more burn marks on your furniture or a magical diagram on the floor," he pulled out a card, "I'd give you this and tell you to call me. The students like to relax here and I'm the one to clean up after them."

"Who are they? How do we tell?" Kirara asked, taking the card.

"You can't really. While we have some students who don't look human, you can't see their extra features unless you're expecting to see them."

"So anyone can be a mage?" Sango asked.

"No, not anyone. Not everyone wants to be a mathematician. It's the same with mages. You have to want to be one. Not everyone has the power to be a mage or the focus. Some people are magically dead. Most of the population could do something with their elemental power, though."

"Elemental power?" Kirara asked.

"Yes, like the fire I just showed you. That's what the students were trying to do. They've only been in class for two weeks and they're showing off."

Kirara nodded slowly. "Okay. I'd like to visit this mage university." Sango looked at her eagerly and Kirara added, "With my daughter."

"That can be arranged," Miroku said. "I'm teaching for most of the day on Monday, but I'm free on Tuesday afternoon. Shall we make an appointment for twelve thirty?"

The time was set and the three continued on their way to bed with much to think about.

Kagome puzzled over her English chapter while Sango cleaned the table around her. "Drat," she muttered, "another burn mark."

She turned a page. "Did you ever find out what was causing those?"

Sango froze. "Um... Sure. Or at least someone got rid of them for us."

"That's good," Kagome said distracted. Sango breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've gotten permission from some of the teachers to let you peek in on their classes," Miroku explained. He pushed open the door and they slid into the back of the auditorium.

They watched the blond haired man lecture about deceptive magics as he demonstrated. He carved a pumpkin, scooping out the seeds with his bare hands. The pumpkin vanished and he showed his clean hands to the class.

After half an hour of that, Miroku ushered them out to the hallway. "Our other stop is one of our magical classes, but not one that uses magic. This is our magic diagrams class. We show the students how the diagrams work and interact with daily life. Such as some of the world's best architecture being built in such ways that promote well-being for the whole planet."

He opened the door and smiled at the teacher. "Good afternoon, Belldandy."

"Hello, Miroku," she said pleasantly. "Class, this is Professor Miroku. He teaches the university's Dispel, Identification, and Protective Magic classes."

He nodded to the class. "And what are you teaching today?"

"We're only on the third week of classes, so we've just begun studying the-"

Belldandy's voice faded away as Sango's eyes found a familiar person in the classroom. "Kagome?" she whispered.

The other girl swallowed. Why was Sango here? Did she know? She hadn't said anything about magic.

"Sango?" Kirara said softly. "Is something wrong?" Sango just pointed at Kagome. Kirara's eyes widened as she saw the girl.

Miroku finished his chat with Belldandy and they walked from the classroom. "Convinced?" he asked.

Kirara nodded. "I am." She glanced at Sango.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Good. Now the rules. Most people in this town don't know about the mage university. We told you because a lot of our students go to The Special. Most don't need to know. They'd expect that magic can solve everything. Try not to let anyone know. You can say mage without alerting anyone. They don't hear it."

"But you said it before," Kirara objected.

"Yes, with the intention of telling you all about it. If it's mentioned in simple conversation that someone can overhear, it isn't heard. Quite a neat bit of magic filtering. Don't tell anyone that hasn't already mentioned it to you."

"I have a question," Sango said softly. "I just saw one of my friends in that last class."

Miroku nodded. "Then I think it's safe to speak with her about magic."

Kagome got out of her diagrams class and ran to The Special. She nodded to Kirara at the register and asked, "Where's Sango?"

She smiled at the girl. "She's at home, working on homework." Kagome deflated. "If you go out the back door, you'll see a white house with black shutters. Knock on the door."

Kagome thanked her and ran off. She found the house and knocked. Sango opened the door. "Hi," Kagome said. "You looked a little shocked."

Sango nodded. "Want to come in?" She did and they sat down in the living room. "I was told Saturday night about the mage university. Mom and I went to see it for ourselves today."

She winced. "And?"

"Miroku made fire in his hand, levitated a chair, and I saw a guy make an illusionary pumpkin and dig out its guts. None of that made such an impression as you sitting calmly in class learning about diagrams," Sango said bluntly.

Kagome began laughing and Sango joined in. "So," Kagome said, "we're still friends?"

"Yeah!" Sango said. "You realize you've got to fill me in now?"

She grinned. "Where do you want to begin?"

"Everything!"

Kagome nodded. "Sure. I'm a mage, kind of."

Sango frowned. "Kind of?"

"Yeah. It's complicated." She sighed. "But I'll try to sort it out for you. See, there are the two universities. Normal and mage. You can get a degree at either or at both. You've got students who take classes only at one university. There are also students who spend eight years getting two degrees, one at the normal and one at the mage."

"But," Kagome said, holding up a finger, "you've also got mage students who take a few electives at the normal university and vice versa. I'm a library science major at the normal university and I'm taking all of my electives at the mage university."

"Power-wise, I'm a three. I can do most of the introductory classes, but not very many of the higher up ones, if any." Kagome grinned. "My younger brother, Souta, is very interested in this college when he gets older. He's a six right now, but they're predicting that he'll be an eight power-wise at full strength."

She seemed to hesitate and then went on. "There's something else if we're sharing secrets. This is a bit of a history lesson." She looked up and was reassured by whatever encouragement she saw in Sango's eyes.

Kagome reached for the coffee table. She pointed to the left of the table. "On that side, there were evil mages." She pointed to the right. "Good mages were over there." She tapped the TV remote that was in the middle. "And this was how far they had to reach to gain magical power."

"Magical power?" Sango asked.

"Low level spells you can do from the energy that you generate. For larger ones, you need a larger battery," she explained. "They both had to reach... Like the equivalent of arm's length. Comfortably within reach."

"Well, one day both sides said to themselves 'nah, we want the energy closer'. So they began trying to move the main power source." Kagome held up her hands. "Don't ask me what it is. I only know that it's there."

"Neither side liked the other very much. They got into a war and some people died." She grinned. "Here's the good part. The prophetess Kikyo got them together and basically banged their heads together. She told both sides that there was going to be a girl. Whoever this girl willingly-"

Kagome paused there. "This is very important. Willingly fell in love with and willingly married got the access."

Sango shook her head. "I don't get it."

She gestured back to the table. "If the girl fell in love with someone on the bad side, the energy would move closer to them. They'd have the energy almost at their elbows and the good side would have to stretch for it. It doesn't mean anything about having more energy, just where it is."

Sango nodded. "I get it. So if the good side had it, the bad side would have to reach further to get energy to work their spells. It makes the side who doesn't have it think about whether they want to do that spell or not."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. "The willing part is important because of the love potion thing." She rolled her eyes. "Dope the poor woman up with a love potion and game over. Plus there was the added idea of not killing off whoever she fell in love with or the competition before she fell in love."

"Kikyo was smart that way. If the woman fell in love and someone killed him before they got to marry, she'd have to find someone else. It would take a long time. See, if the woman fell in love, married, and had a child, it worked quicker."

She stopped. "I'm getting ahead of the story. The power had the potential to shift with each generation. That's another reason why both sides agreed to it."

"They asked who the woman was. Kikyo smirked at them and said, 'I'. She was the woman who was going to decide and they called her the Source of Magic. She married a bad mage. Her daughter married a bad mage. But her grandson married a good mage."

Kagome paused for a moment. "Each generation is born with something called the Shikon no Tama inside them. It's this little pink marble that signifies them as the next Source of Magic."

She sighed. "I'm it."

Sango blinked. "What?"

"I'm the Source of Magic."

"I'm friends with a celebrity of the magic world?" Sango asked, grinning.

"No!" Kagome said rolling her eyes. "Well, yeah." She shook her head. "It's not all that great. I'm expected by half of the uppity mages to fall in love immediately and begin the shift again. Mom married a good mage. The bad mages are after me to fall in love with them. I went through two boxes of trashbags in just my first week here! Chocolates that have love potions in them, notes of flowery nonsense..."

Sango was laughing and Kagome sighed. "It's not funny," she protested.

"Yes, it is!" she said through her laughter. "You've got all sorts of admirers and I don't have one!"

"You can have them," Kagome said disgusted.

She wiped away the water around her eyes and said, "So can anyone take courses at the mage university?"

"Yes. To take a magic class, you'd have to take meditation first. You could take magical diagrams or mythological creatures..."

Kagome and Sango talked about magic classes and elements until the clock chimed four thirty. Sango made her apologies, but Kagome understood that her friend had to get to work. "So, you're fine on the magic thing?" Kagome said.

Sango nodded. "I think so. You did say I could take the element class?" Kagome nodded. She grinned. "I can learn how to do a little magic at least."

"It's not the key to everything."

"But it would be so cool!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and Sango went to get changed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer [sort of?]: This was written by Moonsilver, I make no claim to it being mine in any way, and it is unedited. It is exactly how Moonsilver wrote it.**

.

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 5

A Towel

Kagome nodded as Sango pointed out the error. "I get it. So this number has to be moved over here before it can be moved down to the next step."

"Yes. See, you're not having that much trouble with it."

She sighed. "I'd feel a lot better if I could have another hour with these. I can't believe we've learned so much in a month." Kagome glanced at her watch. "It's already nine. I still have to read that chapter for Diagrams."

Sango shrugged. "Class doesn't start until nine thirty. We can fit in another hour tomorrow morning?"

"Are you sure?" Kagome said eagerly. Sango nodded. "Thank you! Meet me at my room at eight? We'd have an hour before we really needed to leave for class."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Skipping a meal right before a test?"

Kagome winced. "Oh, yeah. That's right. Trying to finish a math test because my stomach's trying to vocalize 'feed me' isn't good. Um... Seven thirty?"

Sango agreed and Kagome packed up her things.

Sango looked around at the door numbers. "Second floor," she mumbled. "Thirty-two."

Finding the right door, she extended her right hand and tapped it with her knuckles. Kagome opened the door a few seconds later. "Come in," she said. "I just woke up so I probably won't make a lot of sense."

She chuckled. "Where's your roommate?" Sango asked, seeing the empty bed.

"I told her that you were coming over early to study and she left for breakfast early." Kagome shrugged. "I didn't think anything could persuade her to get up that early, but apparently she has a math-phobia."

The two girls giggled as they settled their math books on the floor. There really wasn't enough space on either of the beds or at the small desk for two. Kagome wrote down the problem from the book and began solving it with Sango making sure she was doing it right.

Kagome seemed to be working it out and Sango's eyes began to wander. Melly had draped a celtic patterned scarf over the window and it served as a pretty curtain. I wonder where she got that, Sango mused.

Movement caught her eye and she looked at the open door. One of the male college students strolled by. His brown hair was wet and clung to his head. There were water droplets on his shoulders and neck from the water on his hair. One large hand held two edges of a white towel together at his hip. He moved and Sango saw a tantalizing view of naked thigh.

Then he was out of sight.

She could hear a sound of feet going down the hallway and thought idly, flip-flops. She also heard snickering.

Sango turned her head to see Kagome laughing at her. "What?" the girl asked innocently. "Did something happen?"

She stuck out her tongue at the younger girl. "Is that a daily occurrence?"

"Gee, I hope so. At least I shower every day."

Sango groaned. "No. Do you see a moderately nice looking male walk by your door wearing nothing but a towel every day?"

"No," Kagome answered. Sango breathed a sigh of relief. "He wears flip-flops, too." Sango bopped Kagome on the head with her math book and she giggled. "Math formulas gone out of your head?" she asked.

Sango looked toward the door. "I would be camped out every morning," she said wistfully. "Now that is one aspect of dorm life I could get used to."

Kagome laughed and closed her book. "Check this problem for me and we'll go to breakfast. I have a feeling you're not going to be able to talk about anything but-"

The same guy walked by again, this time in boxer shorts, muttering about leaving his shower things. Sango's jaw dropped and she forgot all about Kagome's math problem.


	6. Chapter 6

**Nothing new to say here, other than to ask those readers who like Neon Genesis Evangelion to go look at my stories after reading this story by Moonsilver**

.

.

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 6

A Walk Downtown

Kagome showed up promptly at one that Saturday. She walked into The Special, her eyes scanning for a familiar face.

"She's in the kitchen," Kirara said helpfully at the cashier's desk. "She had to clean up a soda spill and her hands were sticky."

"Thanks, Kirara," Kagome responded. She wrinkled her nose. "Sticky hands aren't good for shopping trips."

"Nah, they aren't," Sango agreed, weaving through the tables. "I'd have to buy everything I touched and bankrupt mom."

Kirara sniffed a little. "Business is very good. I doubt you could touch that much."

Sango winked at Kagome. "Ooh! A challenge."

She laughed. "Just remember to be back by five, dear." Sango nodded and the two girls left The Special.

Sango admired one of the many skirts in the store, Muted Twilight, and reluctantly let the fabric drop. She worked in her mother's restaurant only during the dinner rush. Fourteen hours wasn't really enough to buy a fifty dollar skirt that she'd never wear.

She had been working a little after high school, but mostly to save up money for college. Once the windfall had come into her mother's hands, they had moved and begun a restaurant. In exchange for working all summer and continuing to work there, Kirara would pay for her daughter's college education. Sango lived at home with her mom, worked in the restaurant at dinner time, went to college, and got a hundred dollars a week for expenses. She helped clean up at night, too.

So half of her weekly pay wasn't a good idea for one skirt.

"Going to try it on?" Kagome asked. Sango shook her head. She looked around. "Well, I've got a few things. I want to see if they fit."

Sango watched Kagome walk toward the counter. She sighed and took the skirt from the rack. "Me, too."

Sango exited the store feeling much happier with herself. She wasn't going to spend all her money for this week, but she was still going to have the skirt thanks to a little invention called layaway. Twenty-five dollars this week and the same next week. Then she'd have to worry about finding a shirt to match the peculiar green/gray/blue color...

The next stop was the small used bookstore two shops down from the corner. It was called A Book in Bloom and the owner was very nice. She was tall with bouncy auburn hair. "Hi!" she greeted them.

"Hi, Catherine!" Sango and Kagome chorused. She waved them toward the stacks and they bent their heads to browsing.

"Hey, Kagome," Sango said idly from the right side of the bookcase. "What do you want your perfect guy to be like?"

Kagome came around the bookcase, following the B's of the science fiction and fantasy section. "Oh, that's a good question. One I'd better not answer with any potential ears around to hear."

Sango snickered. "I guess not."

"So what's your perfect guy like?" she asked instead.

"Mine?" Sango browsed through H while she was thinking. "Well, I've done a lot of thinking about this subject."

"Mm," Kagome said sagely.

"And a bit of dating, so I'm pretty sure what I'd like to try first. You never know. At our age, we have one thing in mind that we absolutely have to have in a guy. Ten years from now it could drive us nuts. Or we could get used to football and like the time to read or something."

Sango took a deep breath. "I don't have a preference on the age as long as he isn't way older or younger than I am." Kagome nodded. "All the standard stuff like having a sense of humor and being smart."

"Of course."

"Looks-wise... I'm usually attracted to the dark-haired ones. I don't care if he works out as long as he isn't hard as a rock and doesn't have those little veins sticking up all over."

Kagome giggled. "I don't know about the dark hair, but you and I agree about the muscles."

"Someone I can talk to. Not anyone who uses language that I can't understand and talks over me. Or at least if they use a word I don't know, they'll explain it." Sango paused. "Someone intelligent."

Kagome nodded slowly. "Yes. And not anyone who acts like they're intelligent. Someone who has an opinion and can back it up with why."

"Yes, that's what I mean." Sango plucked a book out and examined the back cover. The other girl moved around her and continued on through the T section.

The conversation lagged a bit while the two girls both found books they'd like to purchase and paid Catherine for them. Once they were out on the street, it picked up again.

"Someone I don't have to bug them to do their laundry," Sango said with a chuckle. "And they know how to pull their pants up," she said, passing a local teenager.

Kagome laughed and cupped a hand over her mouth. "Not to change the subject, but how do you think we did on that math test two days ago?"

Sango shrugged. "I think I did okay. Have any problems with the ones you were having trouble with?"

Once upstairs in The Special, ensconced in the corner with two Sunkist sodas, the conversation returned to the track of the perfect guy.

"We've covered age, looks, muscles, intelligent, someone you can talk to, and laundry," Kagome summed up.

"Someone who has relatively the same taste in movies, books, etc. that I do. Not that we have to read the same thing."

Kagome shook her head. "No. Just somewhere that we overlap. We both like science fiction, but he likes thrillers and I like romances."

She began daydreaming. "The age thing I agree with and the muscles. Intelligence is okay and I'd like someone to talk to. Someone who realizes that not all girls are sweet and romantic." Kagome bent closer to Sango. "I'd like just once for someone to not give me flowers or candy."

She straightened and went on. "Someone handsome and funny. That's more of the standard stuff you want, isn't it?" Sango nodded. "I don't know. I have thought about it, but a lot of it depends on the person."

"What about personal habits?" Sango asked.

"Absolutely no smoking," Kagome said instantly. "It makes me cough and gives me a headache."

"Well, that's specific. No drinking, no smoking, no drugs. Someone who looks at me like I'm the only girl around." Sango sighed and lifted her drink. "Here's to the guys we'll never find."

Kagome raised hers and the plastic clinked together. "To the men we'll find." The two ladies drank.


	7. Chapter 7

**If anyone happens to like NGE, please check out my stories after you've enjoyed this upload of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"**

**Enjoy!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 7

Results

Kagome woke and yawned. Melly was still in bed, snoring loudly. She shook her head and put her feet gingerly on the ground. After a month of living with her roommate, Kagome knew that nothing she did would wake her.

Slipping on her sneakers after dressing, she walked down the hall with the idea of breakfast stuck very firmly in her mind. She jogged down the stairs and out the main door.

On the way to the student center, Kagome felt her pace pick up. There were a few people staring at her. She frowned. There can't be anything on my face. I haven't eaten yet!

Reaching the building, she ducked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Nope, Kagome thought twirling in place, I'm dressed. My zipper's up, my hair's fine, my underthings are right where they're supposed to be...

She shrugged and exited the bathroom. Hm, she thought. Weren't there a few more people around the dorm hallway than usual?

Her feet presented her with the cafeteria and she got a tray from the stack. This morning was a choice of scrambled eggs, sausage, hot cakes, waffles, pastries, fruit, cereal, or bagels. Kagome chose a blueberry bagel and a serving of eggs. As an afterthought, she picked an orange from the bowl, a soda from the fridge, and took it all to the register. Yahiko rang her up and she chose a seat.

She spent a few seconds getting her eggs to fit on the bagel and began eating. About halfway through her bagel, she saw Melly walk to the register. Kagome waved to her and Melly waved back. She went back to eating her meal as Melly sat with a few of her friends.

Kagome was about to begin peeling her orange when she saw a few male students in a group looking at her and pointing. She stood, holding her soda and orange in one hand, and walked out of the cafeteria. She headed up instead of down. There was a small landing above the cafeteria. She stood there and watched the group of students walk out. They looked around and walked down to the main level.

She frowned. What was going on? She glanced behind her and decided to take the long way around. There was a door outside and a long stone staircase down, but it would let her out to the courtyard. Once there, she could cut across it, hit the pine trees, and walk across the street to her dorm.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief once she opened the door to her dorm and began walking up the stairs. She'd just spend the day in her room as she had planned. There was enough homework to keep her busy, a few emails to answer, and...

Her jaw dropped. What was going on?

A large group of guys was around her door. Kagome glanced behind her. Would it be better to try to find Melly? Or go to The Special and find Sango?

No, Kagome decided. I'd have to walk there without knowing what they wanted. Being caught outside isn't a good thing. If, for some reason, this turns out to be a bad idea, there are enough people around to help me out.

She walked forward, pulling her key out of her pocket. Melly would have locked the room. Kagome strode through the group, got the key in the lock, and turned before one of them spoke up. "Are you Kagome?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. She pulled the key free of the lock.

That seemed to be a signal. All of the boys started to speak at once. Three of them began to reach for her and she panicked. Kagome groped for the doorknob and pushed the door open. She half-fell through the door and slammed it shut. What was going on?!

"Kagome!" some of them called. "Come out!"

"No!" she shouted back. "Go away!"

"Kagome!"

She locked the door just as someone tried the doorknob. Luckily, the door did not open. Kagome backed away from the door wide-eyed. Why were they after her? What had she done now?

"Kagome, I don't know what kind of books you like but I'm sure that I'll like them, too!"

"Oh, you don't have a chance. Listen to me, Kagome. You wanted someone funny? A turtle walks into a bar-"

"Telling her bar jokes isn't being funny, Mike. She wants someone intelligent. Like me."

"Who was it that got drunk enough to spout Shakespearean sonnets? She said she didn't want someone who thought all girls were sweet and romantic. Come with me, Kagome. We'll go to a monster truck rally."

Kagome shook her head. This couldn't be happening. She was trapped in a tiny dorm room with a group of guys almost beating down her door for a date. There were girls who would love this situation, she realized. But I'm not one of them!

"Have to do research at the library, but forget the notebook and the folder with the assignment in it," Melly muttered. "Brilliant."

She pushed the second floor door open with a bit more force than actually needed and walked through. She blinked several times at the scene before her. There was a crowd in front of her room and several people looking curiously out of their rooms.

Striding down the hall, she stopped in front of the crowd. "What is going on?" she demanded.

Someone spoke up. "Kagome's locked herself in and she won't come out."

Melly frowned and pushed her way to the door. "Kagome?" she called, knocking on the door. "What's wrong?"

"Melly?" came a strangled voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Now what's wrong?"

"They won't go away!"

Melly glared at the guys surrounding the door. "Go away and leave my roomie alone." She put one hand on the doorknob. "I swear, any one of you tries to sneak around me into this room, I'll fry them. Kagome, unlock the door."

"But you can't do that," someone objected.

She grinned. "You're right. My element isn't fire, it's water. Try and I'll make sure you drown in your next shower."

"You're going to drown someone in an open shower? There's not enough water to flood the entire room."

"Wanna bet?" Melly heard the door click and she opened the door. Closing it behind her quickly and locking it, she looked at Kagome. The poor girl had begun to cry. "Aw, Kagome..." Melly walked to her roommate's bed and put her arms around the girl. Kagome struggled for a minute and then surrendered.

When Kagome could speak without hiccuping or beginning to cry again, Melly asked, "What's made them go into a feeding frenzy?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Sango and I went shopping downtown. She asked 'what do you want your perfect guy to be like'."

Melly winced. "Tell me you didn't answer that question in a public area."

"No. Kind of." Kagome shook her head. "Sango was talking about what she wanted and I agreed with some of what she was saying while we were in the bookstore. I didn't answer the question until we were upstairs in The Special. But there wasn't very many people up there and we sat away from everyone."

"What did you say?"

"We talked about age, looks, muscles, intelligence, someone you could talk to, and laundry while were were outside. Once we got into The Special, I agreed with all of those and said that I'd like someone who realizes that not all girls are sweet and romantic. Handsome, funny, no smoking... Someone who had the same taste in movies and books. That's all."

Melly sighed. "Any other girl could go on for hours and not get the response you have." She glanced at the door. "Well, you can't stay in here forever. They'll probably stop bothering you in a few days. The majority of those chocolates and things have gone down, right?" Kagome nodded. "Then we'll just try to keep you with someone who can tell them to buzz off."

She got up and collected her notebook and folder. "I'm going to the library to do some research. Want to come with?" Kagome jumped up from her bed and began packing her backpack.

Melly thought. "When are your first classes?" Kagome dug her schedule out of her desk and handed it to her. She looked at it and nodded. "All right. I'll get up early and walk you to your first classes all week. That takes care of English and Math. I can drop you off at Meditation, too, but then I've got a long class so I can't pick you up. Anyone you know that can pick you up some of those?"

Kagome thought. "Sango can walk me from English to Art History. Then I'm stuck from ten fifty until you can pick me up for Meditation."

Melly nodded. "So I get up early and walk you to English. Sango walks you to Art History. Then you've got until one o'clock Meditation. That's not a problem." Kagome stared at her. Melly shrugged nonchalantly. "You've met Kenshin? Ask him for some help. He'll make sure that you're not bothered. And he knows about the mage university and the source of magic so you're covered there."

She continued. "But after Meditation, you're in the middle of the mage university and there isn't anyone who can walk you back to the dorm." Melly sighed. "As a last resort, ask Aoshi for some help."

Melly looked at Kagome's schedule again. "Tuesday and Thursday. I'll walk you to Math. Then I've got classes for most of the day."

Kagome thought. "Sango goes right by the library on her way to class. I'll tag along with her to there. On my way to Magical Diagrams, I'll grab an apple or something." She sighed. "After that... Maybe I can ask Belldandy to speak to them if they're still after me."

Melly patted the girl on the back. "Come on. We'll do some major homework and get our minds off the whole business." She looked at the door. "Once we get through your admirers."

She opened the door and faced immediate shouting. Melly raised her hands. "Guys! I doubt that you're going to get a date with her now. You've scared her and made her cry. You should be ashamed of yourselves! Now go away and let her out of her own dorm room!"

Under Melly's influence, they all left and the two girls went to the library.


	8. Chapter 8

**Some more of Moonsilver's Story for you, my Dear Readers!**

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Source of Magic

Chapter 8

Smell the Testosterone

"Kagome? Come on, wake up."

She blinked her eyes and tried to focus on whoever was talking to her. "Melly?" she said bewildered. Wait a minute, her brain said. She's dressed, got her books together, and is entirely too awake. She's never up this early!

"Yeah, it's me. Come on. We've got to get some breakfast before I drop you off. If I'm up this early I need food!" Melly said impatiently.

Kagome climbed out of bed and began her daily ritual of putting on enough clothes so that people wouldn't point and laugh. "You don't get up early."

"There's a good reason for that. See, first I have to have something to eat. It's a major necessity right now. High metabolism. Second, as you can see, I'm a bit hyper in the morning. If I sleep later, it goes away."

Kagome nodded and pulled on her clothes faster. After grabbing her backpack, she and Melly ventured out into the hallway. No one was there who wasn't supposed to be. Melly kept up a running dialogue down the stairs, out of the dorm building, and all the way into the cafeteria.

Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw all the food Melly put on her plate. "Don't worry," she said cheerfully, while adding an orange, "I'll burn it all off today."

They passed their meal cards over and sat down. Kagome watched with rabid fascination as Melly polished off three pancakes loaded with syrup and butter,two hash browns, a raisin bagel smeared with peanut butter, a banana, a small carton of milk, and debated eating the orange. "Nah," she decided. "I'll take a couple of napkins with me and eat it before class. We've got to go, anyway."

Kagome looked at the clock. "It's fifteen of!"

"Sure it is. We'll run you up to your class, drop you off with Sango, explain the situation to her, and incidentally chase away any of your admirers we find. Should be fun." Melly got up and disposed of her tray while Kagome had nothing left of the bagel she had eaten.

There were three guys hanging around the hall, but Melly glared at them and they ran off. Sango was waiting inside and looked relieved when Kagome walked into the classroom. Melly snagged the chair in front of Sango and said, "We've got a problem."

She jerked a thumb at Kagome. "See, I heard you asked a question about what kind of guy Kagome would like. So did a lot of other people." Melly sighed. "Kagome got trapped in the room yesterday because a bunch of guys wanted a date."

Sango's eyes widened. "What?"

Melly nodded. "They heard all about what Kagome wanted in a guy and decided that they fit the bill. So they found out which room she was in and set up camp. She went back to the room after breakfast yesterday and found a bunch of them waiting for her."

"I'm walking her around a bit today, but we thought we'd ask you to take her to art history." Melly finished. "I've got class."

Sango nodded. "No problem."

"Just glare at them a bit and they go away easy enough. Or at least the three down the hall did." Melly got up from the chair. "I'll see you later, Kagome."

Sango turned to Kagome as soon as she was out of the classroom. "I am so sorry, Kagome."

She gave her a weak smile. "They'll ease off in a while. Do you mind walking me to class?" Sango shook her head.

They didn't encounter any problems getting Kagome to her next class. After art history was over, Kagome peeked cautiously outside the door. No one was just hanging around so she began thinking about lunch. A bagel was fine until lunchtime, but she was getting hungry.

She sped up as she walked across the street. Did I see... She shook her head. Forget it. Melly said I could ask Kenshin for help if I need it.

Stopping for a quick trip to the bathroom, she almost jogged to the cafeteria. It could be my imagination, she thought.

Glancing at the stack of trays, she saw a guy standing by them. He smiled and winked at her. She looked behind her and saw two other boys coming into the cafeteria looking straight at her. A group at the table was pointing at her and whispering.

Kagome felt her heart begin to pound. Should she walk out?

A flicker of movement caught her eye and she turned to look, worried that someone else was approaching her.

Kenshin was by the salad bar adding more fruit to the bowl. Kagome hurried over and put him between her and the boys. "Kenshin," she whispered hurriedly.

"Ah, Miss Kagome. How are you?" Kenshin said cheerfully.

"I think a group of boys is after me." She pointed after saying that statement so bluntly.

Kenshin turned and looked at the boys hesitating and shooting hopeful glances at Kagome. "I think you are right," he said. "Did you do something?"

Kagome sighed. "Um, you know about the other school in town?" she asked.

Kenshin smiled and nodded. "Yes, I know about the mage university. In case you would ask, I also know about your decision and what rests upon it."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "A friend and I were talking about boys and-" She blushed.

"Perhaps this conversation would be better said in the kitchen," Kenshin said. "This way, Miss Kagome."

He led her into the kitchen and found a stool for her to sit on. "Now you may tell me all about it," he said soothingly. Kagome filled him in on the particulars and he shook his head. "Yes, this is a troubling thing to have happen. But I can solve one of your worries for you."

He smiled at her. "I will walk you to your next class if you'd like. I believe I can also speak with Hiko and he will make sure you are not bothered around his classroom."

"You know Hiko?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. He is my...adopted father," Kenshin said, coughing a little. "So I will walk you to Meditation and also have a word with Aoshi. There are not many of your teachers who would put up with such nonsense as they are displaying."

"Thank you, Kenshin."

With Kenshin by her side, no one approached her, though she did get a lot of glances. Aoshi was in the classroom and Kenshin spoke to him as he said he would. Kenshin left the room and Aoshi nodded once to Kagome. She relaxed and nodded back.

Once the class was over, she shouldered her backpack and walked toward the door. As she got closer, she could overhear some of the conversation.

"Where is she?"

"Is this the right classroom?"

"Where's Kagome?"

She backed up. I am not going out there, she thought firmly.

"What is it with you?" Inuyasha asked from just behind her. "Always running into someone. The door's right there, you know."

She turned. "I can't go out there."

Inuyasha snorted. "Why not?"

Some of them had gotten tired of waiting and now entered the classroom. "Kagome?" one of them said.

She looked back at them and felt tears prick her eyes. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Now wait a minute, she thought. There isn't any reason they can't leave me alone. I'm not going to be hounded like this!

"How dare you," she said coldly. "I am not something to be won or sought after. You're all hunting me like I'm some prize fox! I'll choose to date someone when I'm ready, not when I'm fed up enough with all this chasing around to just pick someone to get away from everyone else! So I described a few things I'd like in a guy. It doesn't mean that I want one right now. I'm here at college to learn, not to date. Leave me alone."

Some of the boys looked upset and some looked guilty. But it was the one who spoke next that Kagome was interested in.

"Good job. These boys aren't what you need anyway." The dark-haired man pushed away from the door. "Hello. I'm Kouga."

Kagome looked at him as he approached. "Yes? Are you with them?" She glanced at the other boys who were trying to sneak out of the room.

"No. I'm the one who you'll marry someday."

Kagome's eyes widened as he said that. Behind her, Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, right," he said softly.

"What was that, dog?" Kouga grinned.

"I said yeah right as in you don't have a chance," Inuyasha growled.

"I don't have time to talk to you today." He reached out and took Kagome's elbow. "We've got a date to go on."

Kagome pulled away from him. "No, we don't," she disagreed.

He put his hand around her upper arm for a better grip. "Yes, we do," he smirked.

"Let me go," Kagome told him, trying to get loose.

"You heard her," Inuyasha said, flexing his hands. "Let her go."

"Or you'll do what, dog?" Kouga asked.

"It would be better for you to think what I will do to you for disturbing my peace," Aoshi said calmly beside them. Kouga dropped Kagome's arm and she began rubbing it with her other hand. "Kouga, leave my classroom and warn those out in the hall that it would be best if they were gone when I check in a few minutes." Kouga shot an angry look at Inuyasha and left.

"Well, you're popular," Inuyasha said.

Kagome shrugged. "Didn't ask to be."

Aoshi walked slowly to the door and looked out. "There is no one around," he verified.

She smiled. "Thank you. Now I've just got to get to my dorm without having another mob attack."

"They've been doing this everywhere?" Inuyasha said, wrinkling his nose.

"Shut me up inside my dorm room yesterday, Melly frightened a few of them away from my English class today, and Kenshin hid me inside the kitchen a few hours ago." Kagome said, ticking them off on her fingers.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'll walk you back." Kagome stared at him. "This is my last class of the day."

Aoshi nodded. "It would be best if you had an escort."

She accepted and they walked out of the building. "Do you want to go to your dorm or The Special?" Inuyasha asked. "I was going there after class."

"Melly will be expecting me, but she won't be there until after six." Kagome looked at him. "If we go to The Special, can you walk me to my dorm later?"

"Yeah. Guess so."

"Hey," Kagome said, stopping suddenly. She looked at him suspiciously. "Did you just corner me into a date?"

Inuyasha snorted. "No. I was going to The Special, but I have to walk you back to your dorm. I thought you might like to go somewhere with someone grumpy enough to tell the guys to back off. I ain't interested. I've just got a thing about damsels being in distress. Blame it on my mother reading too many fairy tales to me when I was a kid."

Kagome shrugged and struggled to hide a smile. "Okay."

They began walking again and Inuyasha asked, "So why're they after you all of a sudden?"

"It's a long story," Kagome sighed.

"And that's it," she finished. "Stupid of us, but we did take a few precautions." She reached out to sip at her soda.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, talking in the middle of a bookstore and then up here. I've got a question for you anyway."

"Yeah?"

"How'd you see these?" He pointed at his ears.

Kagome shrugged. "I'm good at seeing things that are really there. It's startling sometimes when I see something no one else can."

Inuyasha smirked. "How many people up here are youkai?"

She turned and looked around obediently. "Huh. There's a bird youkai over there."

"Mm-hm. Did you check before you started talking? There could have been someone up here who could hear a long distance."

"I don't always check, you know. There weren't many youkai where I lived. I knew who they all were." She frowned. "Why are there a lot of youkai here?"

"Because a lot of them are magically inclined."

"Um?" They both turned to look at the boy who was standing at the end of the table. "Are you Kagome?"

"Yes," she said warily.

"Hi, I'm Evon. I thought... Maybe later... If you're not busy..."

"She is," Inuyasha said briskly. "With me."

He paled and stammered an apology. Then he turned and walked away.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "I am?"

"Yeah, you are. I'm walking you to your dorm, right?"

She grinned. "I guess I am busy later."

Inuyasha growled low in his throat when he saw the group of boys around Kagome's door. "Get lost," he said to them. "I'll see you later, Kagome."

She smiled. "Yup. See you on Wednesday."

The boys looked disappointed and Melly opened the door. "Kagome!" she said happily. "I was wondering when you'd get here. Did you want to go to The Special?"

She laughed. "I've just come back from there with Inuyasha."

"Is that right?" she said speculatively, looking down the hall at the retreating hanyou. "Well, I'll leave you here then." She ran off.

Catching up with Inuyasha on the ground floor, she walked up beside him. "Hi, I'm Melly."

"I remember," he said.

"I've got a favor to ask. You walked Kagome home?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, could you stop for a minute?" she asked. Inuyasha paused and looked at her. "She's got a class tomorrow. Magical Diagrams. Do you think you could walk her home so she doesn't go through the mass of boys desperate for her hand in marriage?"

He sighed. "Does she have someone dropping her off?"

"I don't think so. She said she'd either be in the library or the cafeteria." Melly grinned. "Want me to make sure she's in the cafeteria?" Inuyasha nodded and stomped off.

"I would walk you to class again, Miss Kagome," Kenshin said regretfully. "But it is the middle of lunch."

Kagome hadn't even asked, but she had hopes that she wouldn't have to walk there alone. "It's okay, Kenshin," she said. "I'll be careful."

"Hey! Kagome!"

She turned and saw Inuyasha at the counter. He beckoned to her with one hand. "Come on. Don't you have class at twelve thirty?"

"But-"

He rolled his eyes. "I told your roommate that I'd walk you there and back."

Kagome smiled and said good-bye to Kenshin. She walked out of the kitchen and to Inuyasha's side. He did a good job at stopping the boys from pestering her.


	9. Chapter 9

**And another one! Remember, these are exactly how I first read them several years ago, just how Moonsilver wrote them.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 9

Thoughts

Kagome gazed up at her ceiling. It was the standard type of ceiling. White with those little holes in it. She had spent a lot of time contemplating ceilings and she knew this was one of the favorites of places who had to have a lot of ceiling space.

She sighed and rolled over to look at the room. Melly was out with a few friends and had left her VCR behind to tape an episode of some show.

Somehow her eyes latched onto the calendar and puzzled over the date. Just a week ago, they'd had to walk Kagome from class to class. Luckily by that Friday, no one had followed her around or bothered her.

Kagome smiled. Inuyasha had still walked her home from class. Oh, he was cute, all right. He'd carried her home when she fell asleep, got his brother to look at her, helped her with the guy mobs that followed her around. With a little encouragement, she could probably have a crush on him.

Then reality and common sense kicked in. He's part youkai, you're a human. You've got enough problems with college and guys, you don't need another one. And that's all it would probably end up as. A crush.

She rolled her eyes. Yes, the whole dating thing. Everyone's eyes on her to see if she was falling in love like she had to. The pressure of marriage once she fell in love. Then everyone after her about a child when she was married, so the cycle could begin again. Oh, yes. That was something to look forward to.

She smiled. Plus add in the fact that I don't know him at all. We've got a class together and he's already said he has a damsel in distress problem. Big deal. You're not even friends.

Now there was a good idea to sidetrack her thoughts onto. She'd only known Sango a month and a few weeks. They were already friends. Melly was taking a big sister role to Kagome instead of being a friend. There were a few girls and boys in class that she said hi to, but no one that she could go to lunch with or something. She could go shopping with Sango, eat lunch, go to The Special, and they'd done homework together. She grinned. Actually, they'd battled the math beast together.

The classes weren't the horror she'd heard about. Sure, there was a lot to do, but it was small stuff. Read this chapter for class, do this worksheet, take notes in class, prepare for this paper, make notes for the exam... Not really that difficult as long as you did it on time.

There was the added bonus of being able to eat in class. You didn't have to raise your hand and ask the teacher to go to the bathroom. Kagome grimaced. That always bothered me. You had to ask another person if you could go relieve yourself. Everyone knew what you were out of class for, you had to make that big noise of shutting the door while the teacher was talking, and what if the teacher said 'no, you can wait'.

The food was great. Kenshin was really good about fixing what you wanted if you didn't like onions on your sandwich. No one really nagged you about your eating habits. If you didn't have time to eat, it wasn't that big a deal.

They trusted you to look after yourself. You ate when you wanted, went to class, and did your homework. There was quiet time on the dorm floor, but that was to be expected. People had to have quiet to study sometimes.

All in all, college wasn't that bad.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you guys for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed Moonsilver's story and was looking to find it!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 10

Costume

Kagome's train of thought was broken as Melly asked, "Are you going to the dance?"

She blinked and tried to derail her thoughts from her email to the question. She turned to look at her roommate around the bookcase. "Dance?"

"Yeah, Halloween is coming up."

Kagome frowned. "Halloween is connected with a dance how?"

Melly sighed and slid her computer chair around the bookcase. "Halloween dance," she said, putting the two words together.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's Thursday. Last week you were escorting me around, trying to keep a mob of guys away from me. Now you want me to go to a dance?"

"Yup!" Melly said happily. Kagome stared at her. "You are not going to stay in this room forever. College is about learning, that's true. But it's also about having fun. I'm in my last year and I'm going to this dance. Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have vacations during those."

She paused. "If you go to the Halloween one, I won't bug you to go to the Valentine's Day one."

"They have a Valentine's Day Dance?" Kagome squeaked.

Melly shrugged. "Last year they didn't. No one organized one, so we didn't have one. Though, you'll probably get roses and stuff."

The raven-haired girl winced. "Thanks for warning me."

She waved a hand from the other side of the room. "No problem. So are you going?"

Kagome sighed. "If I don't go, you'll bug me about it forever, won't you?"

"Of course!" Sensing defeat, Melly continued. "It's great. See, all of the students do magic on that holiday because it's just taken as special effects. So you'll see some great stuff. Most of the students stay at one or the other of the colleges just like they do for classes. But the ones like us who take classes at both colleges, we go back and forth."

"Kenshin'll do the cooking for the whole thing and he makes the best cookies! Someone will be watching the punch bowl and it'll turn a different color if someone spikes it. We'll start off at the normal university and go over to the mage university. The teachers will do tricks and the students will goof off. Last year, someone had the brilliant idea to dress up as Linus and have the Great Pumpkin show up!"

"What about the boys?" Kagome said reluctantly.

Melly shook her head. "We'll have you hang around me, one of my friends, Sango..." She looked at Kagome slyly. "Maybe Inuyasha will show up."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "He's been nice, but I'm off the idea of dating for a long while."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself. Speaking of which, what costume do you want?"

"You have to be in costume?"

"No, but it's always fun. Have any ideas?" Melly drew herself up proudly. "I've been a witch, a goblin, Medusa..."

"I don't know," Kagome confessed. "I'm not going as a princess."

Melly wrinkled her nose. "You'd have all the boys acting as your prince." She leaned back and became the picture of deep thought. "Not anything evil, nothing seductive like a vampiress, no princesses..."

"Hm... This is harder than I thought," she said a few minutes later. "We don't want you in anything that'll make the guys mob you again, so that lets out the whole princess, fairy, elf, sort of thing. You don't have a favorite character, do you?" Kagome shook her head. "Can't dress you up as a lady pirate, too much skin. Could dress up as a goddess, but you're already the Source of Magic. Goddess would be pushing it."

She snapped her fingers. "Why don't we put you in a nice dress and tell everyone you're a winged human? Everyone who doesn't ask will think you're an angel."

"And where am I going to find wings?" Kagome asked. "The dress would be easy."

Melly frowned. "Kagome... What's my major?" Kagome shrugged and Melly slapped her forehead. "We've been roommates for a month and a half and you don't know my major?"

"It never seemed to come up in conversation," Kagome said dryly. "You know mine."

"Library Science," she said. "Ah, well. It isn't any big secret. I'm a double major with one in the normal university and one in the mage university. The normal one is computer science. The mage," Melly grinned, "is illusions."

"So you see," she continued, "I'll have no problems making your wings. You just have to decide what kind you want. White feathers, black feathers, black leathery ones, sparkly ones, whatever you want."

Kagome had images of white glittery wings before she jolted herself back to reality. "I'd better find the dress first," she thought aloud.

Melly nodded sagely. "Don't want to have the dress clash. You could do the toga thing, but a dress would be better."

"No prom dresses," she said suddenly. "And no plunging necklines. What are you going to be?"

The other girl shrugged. "I don't know. Since you can't go as a goddess or anything form-fitting, maybe I will. We can shop for our dresses together."

Kagome's face slid into a pout and she said, "You got me to agree with just the promise of wings." Melly laughed. "I wonder if Sango's going?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Keeping to my Double posting has me ending on odd numbers, which bothers my OCD, so expect a third post in this sharing of Moonsilver's story!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 11

Dress Hunting and Homework

"This one?" Sango asked.

Kagome came over to look at the skirt and wrinkled her nose. "Not right," she decided.

Sango sighed. "You're being picky."

"I've got two weeks," she objected. "I can afford to be picky." Walking back over to her rack, she began thumbing through them again.

So far, Kagome had rejected everything. There were a few maybes, but not many. They had looked over the dresses first, but Kagome didn't like the multicolored shades. The skirts were more plentiful and hopefully there would be one she would like.

Kagome looked at skirt after skirt. There has to be one that isn't tie-dyed, striped, or in a weird pattern, she thought. Her next selection was a deep pink. She grimaced. Or a color that I don't want to wear.

The next skirt on the rack was a cross between a green and blue with a lot of grey thrown in. It looked marbled and had a black edge running around the bottom. The next black line pointed up in little waves with a circle over top the point.

She checked the size and went to find someone to open up one of the dressing rooms.

Melly raised her head from her textbook as Kagome's voice reached her ears. She grinned as Kagome came into the room holding a bag in her right hand and Sango was right behind her. "Find something?" she asked.

Kagome nodded happily and withdrew the skirt. "Isn't it beautiful? Now I've just got to find something to match it."

Melly winced and marked the textbook with her notebook. Putting it aside, she took in the color of the skirt. "Blue isn't going to work. Green isn't. Grey will look funny on you. White or black."

"I don't have anything white that doesn't have a pattern on it." She glanced at her closet. "I guess I could try to buy something."

"Wait a minute." Melly pushed the book aside and went to her closet. She reached into the back and tugged out a black shirt. It was extremely thin without being quite see-through. The neckline was rounded with seven ivory buttons. The long sleeves were slit and edged with the same embroidery that was around the collar. "Try this on. It should fit you."

Kagome pulled off her shirt and tugged the black one on. Sliding her jeans off as easily as she could, she shimmied into the skirt and did up the wooden buttons. Looking at herself experimentally in the mirror, she tucked the shirt in.

"Hm. Shirt in, it gives you a better figure. Shirt out, it'll be easier to move in." Melly shrugged. "Up to you."

Kagome pulled the shirt out. "I'd rather be able to move than have someone admiring my figure," she grinned.

"Me, too," Sango confessed.

"Given any thought to what wings you want?" she asked casually, going back to her bed.

Kagome shook her head. "Nope."

Sango sat down on Kagome's bed. "What are you going to be?"

"Since Kagome can't do a goddess costume, I thought it might be fun. I think I'd rather be a queen, though. Less responsibility." Melly winked. "I'll need something fanciful to wear, a crown, and a scepter. No problem."

"I'm going to be a cat," Sango announced. "I've got the glue for the whiskers and the ears. I tried the glue yesterday and it itched so much. I was scratching at it for hours."

The older girl considered Sango. "Did you want me to create an illusion of whiskers and cat ears? They'd stay on much better."

"Would you?" Sango asked plaintively.

"I can even make the ears move," Melly said mischievously. "I'll work on it and you can come over a few minutes before we leave. I'll do Kagome's wings at the same time."

Kagome glanced at the clock and sighed. "It's about time for me to get to doing my homework."

"What have you got this weekend?" Melly asked.

"Chapter for English and a paper due next Monday. Two pages of math. A chapter of Art History. Two chapters of magical diagrams and three worksheets of plotting out what magical source and sign goes where." Kagome made a face. "And an assignment in meditation. I have to meditate somewhere this weekend and hand in a page paper on Monday. I have to think of something I'd never be able to do on my own, be it financially, physically, or mentally."

Melly nodded. "I hated that assignment."

"What'd you end up doing?"

"I said that I could never touch a cloud," she said. "Of course, Aoshi had to come up with something like fog, but that's just him."

"And I've got to get back to The Special," Sango said, standing up. "Tsubame needed today off so I've got the lunch rush to handle. Bye!"

Sango went home, Melly went back to studying, and Kagome began to search out a quiet place to meditate.

She and her backpack ended up in the small field between the normal university and the mage university. Sticking the bag of chips into the backpack, she began her breathing exercises.

An hour later, Kagome was lying back on the grass that was turning brown. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing in deeply.

Darkness flooded her eyelids instead of the red that meant she was looking at the sun. She opened them to find Inuyasha standing over her. "Homework or trying the new look of grass in your hair?" he said smirking.

"Homework," she answered smartly. "You?"

"Same." He sat down on the grass a few feet away. "So what did you think of?"

Kagome leaned back and pointed at the clouds. "Those. They look like little marshmallows floating in a sea of blue cocoa." She looked at him to find him staring at her like she was just about to be hauled off to the loony bin. "Or were you talking about the homework?" He nodded.

"See those?" she said, pointing at the trees. "I've climbed trees before. But I've never been able to touch the leaves on the end of the branch. I can touch the low branches, but not the ones in the middle. That's something I'll never be able to do on my own unless I sprout wings or stand on something really tall."

She looked so wistful that Inuyasha sighed and stood up. "Come on."

"What?"

"If you want to so badly, I'll jump."

Kagome looked at him skeptically. "No one can jump that high."

"Did you want a piggyback ride or me to carry you? Or," he suggested slyly, "are you just afraid of losing your homework? It's still something you can never do on your own."

She snorted and said, "Pick me up, then. I'm not light."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and swung her up into his arms with one arm under her knees. She put her arms tentatively around his neck. "Just remember to reach out for the leaves," he admonished.

He jumped and Kagome reached out. The feeling of soft leaves brushing her fingers left her with a smile on her face. "Again?" she asked. "So I can pluck one of the leaves?"

Inuyasha grumbled but jumped again. She felt the exhilaration of leaving the earth, the brush of leaves, and she fumbled. "Drat," she said softly.

He rolled his eyes and put her down. He jumped easily, hung in space for a moment, and came back down with a leaf in hand. "Here," he said, holding it out. "Have fun?" She nodded. "Good. Now go away and let me do my homework."

Kagome shook her head, but left with the leaf and her backpack.


	12. Chapter 12

**There, much better!**

**Disclaimer: This story is by Moonsilver, I'm just sharing it with the Inuyasha fans here on FFnet! It is completely unedited, given to you, dear readers, exactly as Moonsilver wrote it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 12

Halloween

"There!" Melly said sounding satisfied. "Done."

Sango got up from the computer chair and walked to the closet mirror. She blinked and one hand raised unbidden to stroke the whiskers. "They feel real!" she said shocked.

Melly shrugged. "That's part of the illusion. You can feel it because you expect it. Just remember that they'll disappear by midnight or you'll have to get me to take them off."

She turned to Kagome who was sitting cross-legged on her bed. "Have you decided yet?"

Kagome shrugged. "I still don't have a clue."

"This is so cool," Sango whispered. Kagome giggled as she watched Sango make her cat ears move.

"How did you do that?" she asked, pointing at Sango.

"It's not hard. The whiskers won't move, but the ears react to her real ears. It's just a matter of connecting the two. Kagome, you've got to decide. We've got to leave in a few minutes."

Kagome bit her lip in frustration. "I don't know. I can't have leathery bat wings. Everyone will think I'm looking for a evil mage. I can't have white feathers because then I'll be looking for a good mage."

"Why not both?" Sango asked.

Melly tilted her head to one side. "How about I give you wings and then you tell me if you like them?" She closed her eyes and began to picture the image she wanted. She mentally attached the wings to Kagome and told them they were not tangible. She opened her eyes and looked at what she had gotten.

Kagome was examining the wings. She'd flipped one forward and looked delighted. "They're perfect," she said softly.

Her wings were not bat wings, but feathery angel wings. They were...patched. Black feathers and white feathers fluttered together as if stirred by an unseen wind.

"Well, if you like them we'd better get going," Melly told the two ladies and stood. She was dressed in a long green dress that fell to mid-calf. She had adjusted the short sleeves with an illusion to make them flutter. Her scepter was really a wooden stick, but to everyone else it was a long gold rod with a large ruby encased in a round golden cage at the end. Her crown glittered with rubies, but it wasn't really there either. It was built like Sango's cat ears. Melly had fixed the crown to her head with nothing but illusion. The scepter was attached to a physical object because Melly wanted to put it down. If it wasn't, it would disappear when it left her hand.

Sango stopped her preening in front of the mirror. She was dressed all in black. Black jeans and flouncy black blouse with silky black cat ears and whiskers. Kagome was dressed in the black shirt borrowed from Melly, her skirt, and the wings attached to her back.

"Are you sure you don't want me to make you a tail?" Melly asked. Sango shook her head. "Kagome, one last thing about those wings. They'll disappear about the same time Sango's ears do. Before that, they will pass through anyone. If you bump into a table, they'll go through the table."

Her eyes widened. "What do I tell anyone who asks?"

Melly shrugged. "I'm a computer science major. Tell them it's a hologram I fixed."

They entered the cafeteria and Melly grinned at the look on their faces. Black and orange streamers hung everywhere. There were cutouts of witches, pumpkins, and other creatures that went along with Halloween. The d.j. was playing great music and lots of people were dancing.

Melly met and spoke with a few of her friends, dragging Kagome and Sango along. "Great costumes," one of the girls said as they passed by.

"Thank you," Kagome murmured. "Yours, too."

After half an hour of being walked around by Melly, Sango and Kagome left the cafeteria to get a drink. The refreshments were set up outside in the halls.

"The music is loud, isn't it?" Sango said, rubbing an ear.

Kagome nodded. "Sure is. Having fun?"

She shrugged. "It's great to get the compliments on the costume, but... Not really." At Kagome's questioning look, she continued. "The music is too loud, you can't really talk over it, and I'm not really into dancing."

Kagome laughed. "Me, neither. But I wanted to come anyway. The costumes are worth it."

"Hello, Miss Kagome."

The voice dragged her attention back to the refreshments. "Hi, Kenshin," she said cheerfully. "This is Sango."

He nodded to her. "Would you like something to drink?" He gestured to the filled cups and they each took one.

"Kenshin, I heard that you made the best cookies for this," Kagome hinted. He smiled and pointed to another table.

The two girls walked over and picked up an orange napkin. They each chose a few cookies and sweets, then walked back to Kenshin. He was helping a woman to sit down into a chair beside his. "I'd like to introduce Miss Kagome and Miss Sango," he told the woman softly. "They're students. I believe Miss Sango works at The Special...?"

Sango nodded. "It's nice to meet you." Kagome nodded and smiled her acknowledgement.

"Pleasure," the woman grinned. "I'm Kaoru."

"My wife," Kenshin said, clearing up the relationship. "She usually works in the daycare center, but..."

Kaoru snorted. "But I seem to have caught munchkin disease." She laid a hand on her bulging stomach.

Kagome laughed. "When are you due?"

"Two months. Far too long to wait," she said mournfully.

"So this is where you went," Melly said, coming up behind them. She had a napkin piled high with cookies and bit into one. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Pure bliss. Kenshin, when I graduate, will you please send me cookies? I don't think I could survive the withdrawal."

Kenshin smiled. "Of course, Miss Melly."

She rolled her eyes. "I've been here six years, Kenshin. Drop the miss."

"He won't," Kaoru told her. "When he gave me my first kiss it was, 'may I kiss you, Miss Kaoru?'. When he proposed, he did the same thing with 'may I have your hand in marriage, Miss Kaoru?'." She mock-glared at her husband. "I said yes on one condition. That he stop calling me 'miss'."

"So that's what it takes," Melly mused. She shrugged and said, "Sorry, Kenshin. You're married and you're not my type." She popped the last of the cookie into her mouth.

She swallowed. "Plus, I think your wife would beat me over the head." Kaoru smiled. "If you've had enough of the party, I think we can visit the other one now. I know you won't have had enough of Kenshin's cookies, but there are usually a few left over."

"I'll bundle a few up for you and you can pick them up tomorrow." Kenshin promised. Melly thanked him and shooed the other two girls out the door.

They took the path through the park and listened carefully. There were a lot of people out tonight and some of them weren't too careful about spells.

Melly led them through the front door and the long maze of corridors. Sango couldn't keep her eyes from jumping around, looking at everything. Kagome hid a grin and concentrated on where they were going. She hadn't gotten to explore this school like the normal university. The guys at the mage university seemed to enjoy hunting her and she didn't want to wander around where she wasn't sure she could get out of.

The noise was audible, but the music wasn't really that loud. It was over the talking, but not by much. Kagome and Sango exchanged a look. Perhaps this dance wouldn't leave them calling around for a hearing aid.

They walked through the huge iron doors and into the auditorium. Yes, the same black and orange streamers fluttered, but they moved with a life of their own. They played with the lights and dangled down to ensnare anyone who got too close. The cutouts weren't flat and unmoving. The witches cackled as students walked by and the pumpkins grinned wider and in an evil manner.

Ghosts swooped down from the ceiling and Sango shivered. "Are those real?" she asked in a very small voice.

Melly glanced up. "Not sure. They're not exactly talkative." She looked at Sango. "Yes, there are ghosts. I don't know if those particular ones are real." Sango nodded and swallowed.

"Hi, Melly!" A tall guy waved to her from a few feet away.

She grinned. "That's Greg. He's pretty sweet." Melly took a step in his direction and paused when the other two didn't follow. "Coming?"

"I think I'm going to find the restroom," Kagome whispered to her. Sango nodded.

Melly shrugged. "Okay. Know where you're going?" Kagome nodded. "I'll be around here somewhere." The two girls turned around and walked out the door.

They ended up walking around the school for a bit. Those ghosts had rattled Sango a little more than she was letting on. Kagome was happy to look around the school while she was sure most of the mages were at the party.

Half an hour later, they wound up at the auditorium again and entered. All the walking had made them thirsty, so they found the punch table. A smiling woman held out cups to them and they dipped up something to soothe their throats. "Are you having fun?" she said in a soft tone of voice.

They nodded. "Yes," Kagome answered.

Kasumi smiled. "Help yourself to some of the cookies and candy."

With a napkin full of snacks, they searched through the room for Melly. Sango's elbow bumped into someone and she apologized swiftly. "Sango," the man said.

Sango's face cleared with recognition. "Professor Miroku," she said.

He held up a hand. "Just Miroku, if you wouldn't mind. I didn't think you were enrolled here. Or did you come with someone else?"

She turned and found that Kagome was missing. "Drat," she said stiffly. "I came with Kagome, but she's not here. I've got to go find her."

"I'll help you," he said smoothly and they began walking. "She can't have gotten too far."

They were right, but she was far enough away to get into trouble. She had gotten separated from Melly and Sango and didn't see anyone she recognized. Kagome nibbled on a cookie, thinking idly that Kenshin's were just a touch better.

Someone climbed onto the stage and spoke into the microphone. "As a special Halloween treat-"

His eyes flew around the auditorium and landed on Kagome. He pointed to her. "I am dedicating this to the Source of Magic." He began mumbling and twisting his hands.

Inside, Kagome groaned. Now what's going on?

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "That young idiot," he growled. He began pushing his way through the crowd.

Sango had seen the boy on stage point at Kagome and started in her direction.

There was a slow unfurling of smoke on the dance floor and people scattered away from it. It began spiraling and glowing green in the center of the black smoke. The smoke grew until it was over fifteen feet tall and seven feet tall.

Then the smoke dissipated and everyone wished it hadn't.

A green body stood where the smoke had been. Its arms and legs were like tree trunks and its eyes were black holes. Its fingernails were black daggers and the thing's toenails were gouging holes in the wooden floor. The demon's neck was too long for its body and its head seemed to sag on the end.

It looked around the room and focused on Kagome. She was now on the edge of the circle of people. In its eyes flickered a limited intelligence and it took a step toward her. "Source," it moaned. A long thread of drool began to sink toward the floor.

Kagome's eyes widened. Her mind began babbling to itself. That thing knows what I am. It was conjured out of smoke. What is it?

A black robed figure stood in front of her waving a priest's staff. "Back," he commanded in a strong voice.

"Source," it said and took another step forward. The drool splashed onto the wooden floor and its mouth moved in chewing motions. Kagome shivered. Does it want to eat me?

Miroku glanced at the boy on stage. "Didn't you put any limiters on it?" he shouted. The boy shook his head. Miroku's jaw dropped. How did a student get out of class knowing how to summon a demon but not how to put limiters on what it could do?

A new person ran into the open circle. He was dressed in Chinese clothes and he tossed his pigtail over his shoulder. "Hey!" he called. "Demon!"

It turned to look at him. "Source," it moaned and swung its head back at Kagome.

The demon stumbled as the boy landed a hit on its shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Pay attention to me instead."

It turned and swung a long arm at the boy. He dodged easily and began looking it over. The demon tried to hit him again and again, but it didn't do any good. The boy was too fast. A bundle of orange and black streamers tried to entangle its arms and ghosts dived at it. The demon growled and tried to hit the annoyances.

He snorted in derision. "A low level." He sketched a symbol in the air and it glowed red. "I say begone." The symbol flashed and the demon disappeared.

He dusted his hands off and stalked toward the boy on stage. "You are in a lot of trouble," he told him. "Loosing a demon in a crowded area and giving them the focus of the Source of Magic. Man, is my wife going to-"

"Thank you, Ranma. I'll take it from here." Akane said, climbing onto the stage. "Mr. Izoi and I are going to have a little talk." She grabbed the student's ear and dragged him off the stage.

Miroku turned to Kagome. "Are you all right?"

"Do you need a shoulder?"

Kagome nodded to Miroku and glanced at who had spoken. She grimaced. "Kouga."

He smiled. "You remember me."

"It'd be hard to forget someone as arrogant as you." Kagome replied. Her eyes widened as she realized how rude she'd just been.

He laughed. "You've got a tongue on you." He leered. "I like that in a woman."

"You like all women," Inuyasha snorted. "Kagome, what are you doing here alone?"

"I'm not. I was with Melly and-"

"Me," Sango said, finally catching up. "This is one Halloween I'm not going to forget. Ghosts and demons."

"A demon," Miroku corrected.

"It's one too many," Sango told him.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. "Let's find Melly. I think I want to go home now."

"You can't," Kouga objected. "We haven't had a dance yet."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes. That's really sensitive. She's the target of a demon one minute and a wolf youkai the next."

"Better than a half youkai," Kouga said grinning.

"Kagome, there you are," Melly said, a little out of breath.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm going to go back to the dorm," she said quietly.

Melly nodded. "Probably best. Did you want me to go with you?"

She shook her head. "No. You enjoy the party. I'll be fine."

"Sure?"

Kagome nodded. "I'll be fine," she repeated. Melly shrugged and took the illusions off of Sango and Kagome.

"I'll come with you," Kouga said firmly.

"No," Kagome said, glaring at him.

"But you need my protection."

"I need protection from you," Kagome retorted.

Inuyasha snorted. "That's right. Come on, I'll walk you home. I've got more practice at it anyway."

Kagome shrugged. "If you're sure you don't want to stay."

"I'm going, too," Sango said.

Kouga growled a bit, but relented.

The three wandered to the door, being stopped occasionally by someone asking Kagome to dance. Inuyasha glared at them all and eventually they arrived at the door. Once there they quickly got out of the university.

They dropped Sango off at her house and continued to walk Kagome home. "It was definitely something I'll remember," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "Mom will love to hear about this."

"Which one was the Source before you?" Inuyasha asked.

"Mom. That's why she won't freak out. Dad... Dad's a little more protective."

Inuyasha looked off to the side, away from Kagome. "Oh, yeah. I meant to tell you that the wings were pretty nice."

Kagome glanced at his outfit. "Thank you. You make a nice pirate."

"Thanks." They walked up the sidewalk to her dorm. "Did you want me to go up to the door?"

Kagome looked warily up at her floor. "I don't know what's up there."

"Well, as long as your not like my roommate. I swear his bologna sandwiches are going evolve and get even with the refrigerator."

Kagome giggled. "I meant, magically speaking." They walked upstairs together and looked at the perfectly ordinary dorm room. She turned and smiled. "Thank you for walking me home. We seem to make a habit of it."

Inuyasha shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "You get into trouble a lot. G'night." He closed the door and walked off.

Kagome booted up her computer and began composing an email to her mother. "Dear Mom," she wrote, "It was a very interesting dance..."


	13. Chapter 13

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 13

Preventive Medicine

Inuyasha pushed the heavy door open. No one was in the waiting room and the secretary didn't call a cheerful hello. He stepped inside the room and let the door close behind him. "Sess?" he asked.

"Back here," came the calm voice.

Inuyasha tracked him down into one of the little patient rooms. "You said something about dinner?" he said to his brother's back.

"Yes, I did. Would you like to go to The Special tonight?"

"Sure. Tired of cooking?"

"No," Sesshoumaru said with a smile. "I just don't want to be alone with you after this."

"After what?" Inuyasha said suspiciously. Sesshoumaru turned with an object in his hand. "Oh, no," he said, backing toward the door. He held up his hands as if to ward his brother off. "No way."

"Inuyasha, hold still." Sesshoumaru began walking forward.

"No!"

"You are eighteen years old." he said exasperated.

"My age has nothing to do with this!" Inuyasha shouted.

"You are getting a flu shot and that is it!" Sesshoumaru moved quickly to his brother's side and stuck the needle in.

"Ahhh! You sadist!"

Sesshoumaru ignored Inuyasha's glare as he disposed of the needle. "I get no pleasure from giving you a needle. Just the aggravation."

"I just hope you've got a very heavy wallet. I'm hungry and I've suddenly developed a taste for lobster and steak."

Sesshoumaru gave a long suffering sigh. "Of course, Inuyasha."

Since Inuyasha's shot had to be planned for when everyone else had left, they arrived at the restaurant in the middle of the dinner rush.

Sango tucked her newest order into her apron and went to drop a word in their ears. "Go upstairs. There's plenty of room up there. Melly and Kagome are already here."

The two brothers took her advice and went upstairs to find a table. Melly turned to look at who had tapped her shoulder and grinned as she saw Sesshoumaru. "Hey, doc."

"Good evening, Melly." Sesshoumaru said quietly. "Unfortunately, Sango seems to have been mistaken about there being 'plenty of room' up here. Would you mind if we sat with you?"

"No, of course not. Have a seat, you two." Melly tossed her backpack to the floor and cleared the books off the end of the booth. Sesshoumaru sat immediately and Kagome moved over for Inuyasha.

"You don't have to stop studying," Sesshoumaru objected.

"Nah, we were just about to break for dinner." Melly told him.

Sango approached the table and apologized to Sesshoumaru. She took their orders and went back downstairs.

Inuyasha rubbed his arm and glared at Sesshoumaru. He gave a loud sigh.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked, her eyes flickering to his arm.

"No," Inuyasha said sulking.

"He's upset because I punctured him with a needle," Sesshoumaru explained. "He's half human which means he can get human diseases. Even youkai get a few of the human ones like the flu."

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "I sympathize."

Melly nodded. "Which means that the flu vaccine is in."

"Just got in today. I wanted to vaccinate him before he knew about it."

She sighed. "Which means that tomorrow, you and I are going to visit the doctor."

Kagome shook her head. "Nope. Uh-uh. No way. No needles for this little girl."

Melly leaned forward. "Let me explain this better. You're living in a highly concentrated area. One person in the dorm catches the flu, they all catch it. I am not nursing you through cold chills, waking you up for medicine at two in the morning, or fetching tissues if it can be prevented."

She sat back. "I'm getting one and I'll talk Sango into it. We can all go and then I'll buy you ice cream after, little girl."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "All right. But I hate needles!"

The conversation was much more pleasant after that. Until Sango and Tsubame both carried up their order. Tsubame handed out Melly's club sandwich, Kagome's hot turkey sandwich, and Sesshoumaru's steak. Sango set up a tray at the end of the table and sat the serving platter on it. "Which would you like first, Inuyasha? The salad, the sides, the lobster, or the steak?"

"Salad first."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha devoured all of that, while still managing to finish her sandwich. "The person you marry had better be a good cook," was all she had to say.

Sesshoumaru sighed again. "He's moving in with me after finals are through. I've got three and a half years of trying to feed that bottomless pit."


	14. Chapter 14

**Here you go, dear readers, the next pair of chapters!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 14

Homework Attacks!

"Kagome?" Melly finally asked. The other girl tore her eyes away from the computer to look at her roommate. "You've been staring at the computer for at least five minutes. Before that you were splitting your time between looking at your backpack, your computer, and the piles of papers on your desk. What's wrong?"

She waved her hands at all of it helplessly. "I..."

Melly leaned forward in her chair. "Yes?"

"It's too much," Kagome said finally. "I've been here two and a half months and it's never gotten this bad. Usually the tests were spread out and the assignments I could keep up with, but..."

She nodded. "Okay. Rattle it off to me. What have you got?"

Kagome closed her eyes and thought. "English Comp. I've got a first draft paper due before Thanksgiving break. I've got my final revision of that paper due for my final exam. I've got two chapters to read for that class and all the research to do for the paper."

"What's the paper on?" Melly prompted.

"Censorship. I chose to do it on fantasy books, specifically Harry Potter." Kagome replied. Melly nodded and she continued. "Art History. I've got a chapter to read. Not much in that class except my final in a month."

"Meditation. Again, I don't have much in that class. No reading, just meditating on my life. We don't have a final in that class."

"Math. I've got fifty problems to do and I don't understand the concept. This is going to be on the final and I don't get it."

"Magical Diagrams. I've got another paper due for that comparing three of the diagrams on this list." Kagome found the list and waved it. "I've got a final in that class, too. Two chapters to read, too." She paused and looked at Melly. "All this is due next week."

Melly nodded slowly. "So, to sum this all up..."

"In English, I have a paper and its research, plus two chapters to read. I don't have anything in Meditation and only a chapter to read in Art History. Diagrams has a paper and two chapters. The Math is bad and I don't get it."

"Okay," Melly said firmly. "First, you've got your due dates. What is due when?"

Kagome began checking due dates. "The English paper is on Friday and the Diagrams is on Thursday. The reading is early in the week. The math is due on Tuesday."

"Here's my suggestion. It's Saturday morning. Call Sango and get together with her on the math today. You'll worry less if you know you've got that out of the way. How much research do you have left?"

Kagome gestured at the piles of papers. "It's all printed out. I just have to go through it and see what's relevant."

"Get the math out of the way first. It sounds like the biggest part of your problem so far. It's the only thing you don't understand. Once you feel like you've got a handle on that, you'll feel better about tackling the rest." Kagome nodded. "Do a bit of the research at a time. If your brain's fuzzing up, take a break and read something for fun. Get the research filed away and read the chapters for English and Art History. Isn't your Diagrams class on Tuesday?" Kagome nodded. "Then read the chapter for that class on Monday so it'll be fresh."

Melly looked at Kagome with a raised eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

"Whatever you tell me to," Kagome said cheekily.

Melly sighed. "Freshmen. Okay, call Sango and get the math out of the way. Then spend whatever is left of today going over your research stuff. Start it again on Sunday. Read the English and Art chapters tomorrow, too. On Monday, read your Diagrams chapter and get to work on that paper because it's due first. If you don't finish your English paper in time, ask the teacher for an extension. They'll usually give you one if you explain that you're swamped with homework."

"They will?" Kagome asked wide-eyed.

"They went to college, too. They know that everyone assigns work around this time of year and they expect you to be a little under."

Melly held up a hand. "This is important. They will not do it for every assignment. Don't make a habit of ditching this one class. Explain that it is an emergency, you got behind, it's your first semester... Professors do make allowances, but not all the time."

Kagome nodded and reached for the phone to dial Sango's number.

Melly tossed something at the two of them when she returned. Sango and Kagome were in the middle of math and looked up confused. Melly grinned. "Kagome, I hate to add something to your plate, but did you forget...?"

"Forget what?"

"Class schedule for next semester?" Melly prompted.

Kagome groaned. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"And," Melly pointed at the thick packet of available classes, "you're scheduled to schedule your classes tomorrow."

Kagome flipped open the book and began looking. Sango did the same with hers and grinned sheepishly. "Kagome, you don't have to worry," Sango told her gently. "Once we got through the explanation and the first couple of problems, you did fine."

"Mm," she replied, studying the booklet.

"This does not make sense. Why aren't one and two offered in the same semester?" Sango said frustrated.

"Because of the delighted looks on the freshmen faces?" Melly answered smugly.

"And all the classes overlap," Kagome grumbled. "Okay, I think I've got one. With at least two classes I can sub in for each."

"Me, too," Sango chimed in.

The next day Kagome and Sango compared their lists and found that they weren't so bad this semester. Kagome read her list. "Public Speaking, Intro. to Computing, Energy Channeling, Intro. to Biology, and Magical Artifact I.D. for the main list."

"And I've got General Zoology, Physics for the Life Sciences, Magical Artifact I.D., Meditation, and Technical Writing."

"Well, we've got at least one class together. And I can show you around the Mage University," Kagome said happily. She tucked her schedule in her back pocket.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: This was written by Moonsilver, not me, and remains exactly the way they wrote it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 15

Thanksgiving

Kagome stood in the doorway of her room and stared at it. It didn't look different.

"Still packing?" Melly said from behind her. Kagome jumped and she laughed. "No, I'm not one of your stalkers," she teased.

"Thank goodness," Kagome answered back. She turned to look at the room and stepped inside. "No, I was just thinking how familiar this has become. I'm going home for the first time since I got here. What if-?"

Melly nodded sympathetically. "What if it doesn't look the same?" Her roommate turned to glance at her. "It'll look like home to you. That whole thing about outgrowing your home, well, that only applies to some people. I still go home and do the same stuff. I lounge in my favorite chair, fuss with my family over who gets the remote, etc."

"So," she continued, "what are you missing?"

Kagome looked at her blankly. "Missing?"

"Yeah! You'll miss something. Always do. Did you pack at least three days worth of clothes?"

Nod.

"Your homework?"

Nod.

"How about your shower stuff?"

Kagome's hand flew to her mouth. "Oops."

"Yeah. You're not living at home any longer so your family might not have your stuff anymore. It was such a drag when I got home and realized I'd forgotten my bar of soap."

"Soap?" Kagome asked while finding her little basket of toiletries.

Melly confirmed with a nod. "The rest of my family likes one kind and I have to have another. Something the doctor said about one kind being too harsh on my skin."

She sighed. "It is the price one pays for beauty like mine, you know." Kagome threw a pillow at her and Melly giggled. "Now, I'm going to be driving home in a few hours. Have you got your plane ticket?"

Kagome found her purse and brandished it at Melly. "Yup!"

Inuyasha helped his roommate carry down an extra bag of presents for his family and waved good-bye as the car pulled out of the lot. He looked around the parking lot and saw that most of the cars were already gone.

He dawdled on the way back to his dorm. The majority of the doors were shut and locked because their inhabitants had gone home.

His hand turned the doorknob slowly and he went only a few paces inside to grab his duffel bag and backpack. Clothes, a paperback, toiletries, and homework were inside.

He locked the door on his way out and walked out of the dorm. A few blocks away, he walked slowly up a path and knocked on the door.

"About time," Sesshoumaru grumbled as he opened the door. "Mom and Dad are going to be here tomorrow."

Inuyasha shrugged and walked inside. "Are you cooking?"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Oh, yes. Let's allow Dad to cook. Burnt turkey. Or Mom. Then we can all have food poisoning because she left the potato salad out for a few hours before we ate it. No, thank you."

Sango sat down with a heavy thump at Kagome's table. "So how was your Thanksgiving?" she asked.

Kagome grinned. "Great! The boys argued over the remote, I helped Mom in the kitchen, and I got to see all of my high school friends. It wasn't weird at all!"

"That's great." Sango sighed. "We had Thanksgiving lunch and then opened up for dinner. It was madhouse. Doesn't anyone know how to cook a turkey at home anymore?"

Kagome hummed along with the stereo as she set everything back in its place. Melly had already checked in, she had seen Sango, and classes started again tomorrow. Home had been wonderful. But college was pretty good, too.


	16. Chapter 16

**This was written by Moonsilver, I'm just sharing it here**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 16

Final Exams

"'Tis the season to be frantic," Kagome hummed sarcastically to herself. She had just finished her English paper revision the night before. That was one final exam that was done. She had her Art History exam, Math, and Magical Diagrams, too.

Diagrams had just let out and she was on her way to the cafeteria to grab a snack. Then it was to her room to study for her Art History exam. She had a study session with Sango on Saturday. They were going to go over the math as much as possible and write down their formulas.

Kagome breathed a relieved sigh. Their math teacher was really understanding. So many math formulas, too little available brain space. They were allowed two 8x11 pieces of paper to write notes on. Sample problems, formulas, little pieces of information they'd picked up, anything.

She went into the cafeteria, nodded to Kenshin, and picked up two bags of chips, an orange, and a banana. That would keep her going until she turned in early tonight. A wild Thursday night.

Aoshi faced the class and stood at the end of the class. He nodded to them all. "You've all done well. Everyone passes. You are no longer my students in meditation."

The students nodded and smiled back at him. The majority started gathering up their things. Kagome sat where she was and looked around the room one last time. "My last class," she said softly.

"Mine, too," Inuyasha replied. He tossed his backpack over both shoulders and smiled at her. "See you later?"

She nodded. "Yeah." Kagome watched him walk out of the class, shrugged, and picked up her stuff. She'd probably never see him again. Classes were scattered and you never knew who you'd meet.

Saturday morning was spent at Sango's studying math problems. Saturday afternoon was spent on diagram studying. Sunday was a combination of studying, cleaning, and packing. The dorms were closed up during the few weeks worth holidays, but everyone still had to pack to go home.

"Oh, it's going to be so good to go home," Melly sighed.

Kagome shot her a dirty look. "Don't rub it in."

"That's right," Melly said snapping her fingers. "You have to stay here until Thursday."

"Diagrams final," Kagome mumbled. "Art History's on Monday, Math's on Wednesday, and Diagrams finishes on Thursday."

"Well, since I'm not going to be here to check you, I'm making you a list." Melly said grinning.

"A list?"

"Yeah. Remember to take your clothes home, unplug all the appliances, make your bed, etc. Leave everything neater than a pin and then you'll know if anyone's been in here." Melly finished writing the list and handed it to Kagome. She turned and put it on her desk.

"Actually," Kagome began, "I've already packed my clothes. I've left out four outfits and I'll wash three before I go home. You can disconnect the refrigerator when you leave. I've got tons of points left, so I'll just buy sodas from the cafeteria. I'll straighten up before I leave."

"Okay," Melly agreed. "Want me to quiz you on Art History?" Kagome nodded and handed her the papers.

Kagome shifted the duffel bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder and picked up the suitcase. "Did you pack the kitchen sink?" she joked.

Melly shook her head and looked sadly at Kagome. "You should know that we don't really have a kitchen sink. There's one in the dorm kitchenette, but who would want the trouble of disconnecting it?"

They carried Melly's stuff down and pushed it into the trunk of her car. "Okay, Kagome," Melly said, turning toward her. "Remember to double-check the list I left you. Don't wander anywhere a guy can get you alone. I won't be there to bail you out."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be in my room, the library, the cafeteria, or at an exam. I'll be fine for three days. Actually, it's just what's left of today, Tuesday, Wednesday, and half of Thursday. I'm leaving at ten to go home."

"Just checking."

"I'll be fine," Kagome insisted. "Have a safe trip and email me over vacation." Melly nodded and got into her car as Kagome walked away to the dorm. She was supposed to meet Sango at the Special at seven to go over a few sticky math problems before the final on Wednesday morning.

Sango waited outside in the hall after she finished her test. She didn't need to be back at the restaurant for a few more minutes. The test had taken her an hour and fifteen minutes out of the full hour and a half.

She bit her lip. Kagome had better hurry or she won't finish...

Walking down the hall, she paused to take a drink from the water fountain. When she looked back up, Kagome was walking toward her. "How do you think you did?" Sango asked.

Kagome shrugged. "I didn't get stuck on anything. It just took forever to write everything down."

Sango nodded her agreement and they began walking to the stairs. "I've got work," Sango said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said. "I'm going to go get something to eat at the cafeteria to tide me over until this afternoon and then study diagrams."

"Oh, big excitement," Sango teased, starting down the stairs. "Couldn't you find a date?"

"Don't say that!" Kagome said, shaking a finger at her friend in mock anger. "The last time I mentioned anything about guys, it was a disaster!" She smiled and said, "No. I've got to look over the diagrams again and then I'll be set for tomorrow morning."

"Then you go home?"

Kagome nodded. "I'll be leaving tomorrow at ten. I've got to call a taxi to take me to the airport."

"Will you drop by before you leave?"

"Sure," she said. "I'll be by tonight." They reached the end of the stairs and had to part. Sango had to leave for the door near the road and Kagome had to go down the hall to get to the cafeteria. They said good-bye and walked away.

Kagome walked down the hallway, idly noticing the out of date posters, and through the courtyard. She climbed the stairs and walked into the cafeteria. It was only nine thirty, but she figured a few pieces of fruit and maybe a danish would hold her until she could come in at lunch time.

She frowned as she saw nothing cooking. Kenshin wasn't there to greet her. Usually, he would say hello and there would be steam rising from the counter...

With a shrug, she picked two bananas from the fruit bowl and chose a cheese danish. She opened the soda case door and got a cranapple juice bottle. Plunking all of it down in front of Yahiko, she tilted her head toward the kitchen and looked at him curiously. "Where's Kenshin?"

He sighed. "Kaoru went into labor last night. He can't come in."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "She did?" She paused. "The cafeteria isn't closed. Who's going to cook?"

"Some of the culinary arts students. Ukyo'll be making dinner." When she didn't look particularly enlightened, he added, "She's one of the teachers for culinary arts."

"At least most of the students are already gone," she said. Picking up her stuff, she exited the cafeteria.

One very tasty cheese danish, a banana, and half a bottle of cranapple juice later, Kagome glanced at the clock. Ten thirty-five. She sighed and looked back at her textbook. She knew this. She was just going over it because there wasn't anything else to do. Melly wasn't around to talk to. Sango was working. No classes. No packing to do. She'd eaten already.

She leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. "Kagome," she said to herself, "it is pretty bad when you choose studying as entertainment."

Shaking her head, she got up from the chair and pulled on her coat. She could at least go for a walk. It would get her out of the dorm and maybe she'd find a book to read or something.

She walked down the stairs and to the front door. A blast of cold air made her almost reconsider her plan, but she gritted her teeth and walked out.

Slowly, she walked past the student parking lot, the church, and the apartment building. An idle glance toward the other side of the street made her think of something. She walked quickly to the crosswalk, waited for the light to change, and went to the other side. She ducked into the little pharmacy/general store/video store and went directly to the Jelly Belly jellybean section. Pulling one of the little polka dot bags out of the dispenser, she filled it halfway with root beer flavored jellybeans. Souta will love these, she thought.

"Hi, Kagome."

She turned around and saw Inuyasha standing behind her. "Hi," she replied. "Still here?"

He shrugged. "I'm moving in with my brother. My roommate's driving me nuts."

"I've got one last exam tomorrow morning." She paid for the jellybeans and waited as Inuyasha paid for his packet of rubber bands.

"I didn't know I had so much stuff," Inuyasha told her as they walked out the door into the cold.

"I know," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "My wardrobe didn't used to be that big." Shrugging, she said, "It's because I had to have late summer clothes, fall, and winter clothes. They ought to make those things bigger."

"But you're only taking clothes home. I've got to my my computer, clothes, blankets, stuff, textbooks..."

Kagome frowned. "Why don't you get your roommate to help you?"

"He's gone."

"Brother?"

"He's at work."

Kagome sighed. "Is your dorm co-ed?"

Inuyasha shot her a puzzled look. "Why?"

"I haven't got anything else to do. Just let me drop these jellybeans off in my room and I'll come help."

"I can handle it."

"It'd be easier with two people."

"I'm just carrying stuff down to my brother's car and driving it to his house."

"Like I said, it'll go faster with two people. Your stuff can't be heavier than Melly's stuff." Kagome argued. With a sly look, she said, "You've got a damsel in distress problem, right? Won't you save me from my boredom? If you don't let me help you, I'll have to go back to studying my magical diagrams textbook for the fifth time."

Inuyasha threw up his hands. "Fine. You can help me carry it down and unpack it if you want."

"I want," Kagome said sweetly.

Inuyasha's dorm was co-ed, but it was also deserted. "Everyone else on this floor has already gone home," he explained. He opened the door and gestured at the plastic boxes. "I'll get the computer. Do you think you can handle a few of those clothes cartons?"

"Sure," Kagome chirped and lifted one. "Where are we carrying it to?"

He lifted the monitor into his arms and said, "Follow me."

Inuyasha led the way out of the dorm and down the sidewalk to a car parked at the curb. Kagome set down her burden and opened the backseat. He put the monitor inside and unlocked the trunk for his clothes. "I've already taken one load over this morning," he explained.

"So there's just a few clothes left?" she asked.

They began walking upstairs and Inuyasha pointed out what was left. Kagome had been right. There were two clothes cartons left, a pile of bedding, and his computer. "I already took over half the clothes, the stuff in the desk, and the books and other junk."

Kagome nodded. "All right. How about you carry the computer out to the car and I'll get the other stuff to the door?" Inuyasha agreed and picked up his CPU.

While Inuyasha carried that out, Kagome got the two clothes cartons down and put the bedding on top of them. She'd just finished putting it down when Inuyasha arrived. He got the carton with the bedding on top and she picked up the last one. One of the cartons went into the trunk and the other went onto the backseat. The bedding was scrunched into the floor.

Kagome slid into the passenger's seat while Inuyasha got out the spare keys. He started the car and they drove to Sesshoumaru's house.

Even in winter, the house was pretty nice. Two stories and a nice little yard. Inuyasha got out and walked up the cement path. He took the steps two at a time and crossed the porch quickly. He unlocked the door and went back to the car for his stuff.

Kagome dragged the bedding out of the floor while Inuyasha got his computer out on the other side of the car. He led her into the house and she marked where everything was. To her right was the living room, to her left a bedroom, and straight ahead was the staircase. He led up the stairs and to the right. Putting the computer down, he gestured for her to put the bedding on the bed.

She looked around. There were four windows, one to her left and right, and two straight ahead. The desk was in the upper right hand corner with the bed between the two windows. A nightstand was to the left of the bed. There was a bookshelf in the lower right hand corner and an entertainment center opposite the bed. "It's nice," she said.

"Yeah. Sesshoumaru had this as a guest room," Inuyasha answered. They quickly got the rest of his clothes and things upstairs.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Did you want me to drive you back to the dorm?" She shook her head. "Did you want to unpack the books?" She nodded and he pointed her toward the bookcase. Kagome began opening the boxes and putting them on the shelves while he set up his computer.

Once she was done with that, she asked where the closet was. "It's around the corner, right before the bathroom."

"Oh," Kagome answered, darting a look at the door. "Um, can I-?"

He looked confused for a minute, then blushed and turned his head away. "Sure."

Kagome went out of the room to relieve herself and found the closet. She opened one of the cartons and asked, "Inuyasha, which of your clothes did you want put up?"

He shrugged. "That closet's big enough for an elephant's clothes. All of 'em." She tugged it out into the hall and began putting things on hangers.

Inuyasha finished with his computer and took care of setting up his desk. Once that was done, he sorted out his television, player, and DVDs. Kagome came back into the room and her eyes went wide when she saw he had the Labyrinth on DVD.

They settled down on the floor and watched that, quoting lines along with the characters. Kagome laughed when Inuyasha said, "I can be cruel."

"You are not," she said grinning.

"You just helped me carry my things down a two flights of stairs, up another flight, and unpacked my clothes for me. I'm not cruel?"

Kagome considered that. "I guess so."

The movie ended and Inuyasha put the DVD back in its case. Remembering that he was playing host, he asked, "Did you want something to drink or something?"

She shrugged. "Sure." They tromped down the stairs and walked through the living room to the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator. "Sess's got orange juice, lemonade, and some kind of soda."

Kagome peeked around him. "That's ginger ale. Lemonade?" Inuyasha pulled out the pitcher and poured two glasses.

"Anyone home?"

"In the kitchen!" Inuyasha said in a raised voice.

Sesshoumaru appeared a few moments later. "Oh. You have company." Looking at his brother, he asked, "Did you get everything moved?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome helped me out."

"I exploited his weakness for damsels in distress," she answered quickly.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "His greatest weakness," he said sadly. "Have you had lunch?"

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and frowned. "Oops," they said.

"How many speeches have I given you about proper nutrition and eating habits, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru grumbled, moving into the kitchen. "Out! I'll fix lunch. God knows if Inuyasha does it, we'll be eating cinders."

"Hey!"  
>"Unless it only needed to be microwaved," Sesshoumaru amended. "Make yourself at home, Kagome. Lunch should only take a few minutes. Is chicken salad okay? Chicken, salad dressing, wheat bread?" She nodded.<p>

After lunch was over, Kagome had to leave. She pleaded laundry and more studying. While the laundry was spinning in the washer, she reviewed her diagrams notes again. Clothes washed and dried, she went to see Sango.

The next morning she went to the cafeteria to see if she could find another cheese danish. She had to make do with a raspberry one, but found out that Kaoru had a little boy that they had named Kenji.

Her test was easy after all the studying she put in and she got to the airport safely. She was on her way home!


	17. Chapter 17

**As a Christmas Special, I'm uploading FOUR chapters of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"!**

**I hope everyone of you, my dear readers, had a wonderful day. And here's hoping for a Happy New Year from Asuka, Touji, Kensuke, Hikari, and me!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 17

Pictures

Kagome arrived in the dorm room well before Melly. She was in the process of plugging everything back in when two heavy thuds hit the floor. Kagome turned to find her roommate grinning at her. "Welcome back," Melly said. She walked over and gave Kagome a hug. "How was your Christmas?"

She shrugged. "It was great seeing everyone. I got tons of presents." She turned and pointed to the closet. "Lots of warm clothes, a big pack of CD-Rs, computer paper, jewelry..."

Melly nodded. "Well, I got to check in with my whole family. Not too many clothes this year, but..." She held out her necklace and Kagome oohed. It was a sapphire and diamond heart necklace with a flower in the middle. Melly got her stuff and began putting it away.

"And my brother had to do his newest magic lesson," Kagome huffed. "I am so jealous."

"Yeah? What'd he do?"

"He's into his defensive and offensive magics class. So he put up a ward around the remote."

Melly cupped a hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh. "He did?"

Kagome nodded. "He did. But that is one area that I'm better at. Wards, defensive stuff..."

Melly snorted. "Just because you're a low level doesn't mean you can't do a lot with it. I'm on the high end of the mid-range. I'm still getting a computer science degree."

"I know. It's just..." Kagome let the sentence trail off. "He can already do so much and I can't."

"You'll learn," Melly said wisely. She opened the refrigerator door and sighed. "Definitely have to go to the grocery store and get a few sodas."

Melly stormed into the cafeteria the next morning. She marched up to the counter and slammed her hands down on it. Kenshin smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Miss Melly."

"Kenshin," she said in a low voice, "you've got them."

"I have what?"

"Don't play cute with me," Melly said, waving a finger at him. "You've got them, I want to see, so lay 'em out." Kenshin continued to look confused so she took pity on him. "Baby pictures, Kenshin."

A light went on and Kenshin reached for his wallet. "Pictures of Kenji? Of course I have a few." The next few minutes were spent looking at the pictures. Eventually Kagome said he was cute and wandered off to get her own breakfast.

Kagome entered her first class and sat down at one of the computer terminals. She was twenty-five minutes early thanks to Melly wanting to see Kenji's baby pictures. Shaking her head, she thought, I hope babies magically become cute when I have one.

The rest of the class eventually arrived and they all waited for their teacher. She showed up five minutes before class started and smiled at them. Going directly to the front of the room and a long table, she put her leather briefcase on it. Her blue-black hair formed long bangs on one side of her face and she was dressed in a ladies suit. She didn't wear any jewelry except the wedding band on her left hand.

When the minute hand moved to nine o'clock, she smiled at the class. "Welcome to Intro. to Computing. My name is Lucrezia Noin." A few of the students' jaws dropped. "It's a mouthful. Most of your teachers want you to call them by their first names, but in my case it's better not to. Noin is just fine."

She began passing out the basic first day sheets and Kagome accepted hers and passed it to the girl on her right. After the first half hour of going over all the information, Noin had them turn on the computers and take a quick look around in the programs list. They were dismissed at nine-fifty on the dot.

Kagome walked into her second class of the day and grinned when she saw someone she recognized. Taking the seat next to his, she grinned and asked, "Have a good Christmas?"

Inuyasha glanced at her and relaxed. "Yeah. The whole mess of it."

She nodded. "Whole mess?" she repeated.

"Yeah. My mom and dad came here this year because they wanted to see Sesshoumaru's new house and look over the university. It hasn't changed much since they came here." He turned slightly in his chair. "Well, they dragged us out to buy a live tree and forgot that Sess is allergic to pine trees."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Then how can he live here?"

"Unless he's living in the same house with it, it doesn't bother him. So we had to take the tree back and get a plastic one." Inuyasha shrugged. "I liked both."

"We shopped for new ornaments and Mom found that little store downtown. We lugged them all home and found out there were too many to put on the tree at once. Dad put his foot down at buying a bigger tree."

Kagome giggled and Inuyasha grinned at her. "Then Mom and Sesshoumaru got into an argument over who was cooking Christmas dinner. Mom won, but Sess and I got her back. We woke them up at four in the morning to open presents."

Inuyasha leaned back in the chair. "It was a good Christmas. How was yours?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I saw a lot of old friends, got warm clothes, and ate way too much." Kagome glanced toward the front of the room. "Isn't it strange that Aoshi's teaching Energy Channeling?"

"Nah, not really. He's taught us how to relax and conserve our energy. Now he's going to teach us what to do with it."

"I guess it makes sense," Kagome agreed.

They made small talk for a while until the rest of the class and Aoshi filtered in. The first thing Aoshi did was hand out papers and give them a lecture.

"The rules are as follows," he said in a deep voice. "Do not attempt to do this without a partner. We will be working for the first few weeks in class practicing. After that time, you will be partnered with someone for the rest of the semester. There won't be any assignments requiring you to channel energy without my supervision or without your partner except the final. Follow that rule and you'll be fine."

"The reason for this rule is basic. You are learning to channel energy. You will learn to transfer energy to an inanimate object and another person. Control is the most important thing. If you do not learn how to control yourself, you will channel too much energy out of yourself and become tired."

He paused. "I've been teaching this class for a few years and in every class someone has fainted in the first lesson."

"The other rule is to take care of yourselves before this class. Rest and eat before. If you've pulled an all-nighter, do not come into class. If you are excessively tired, hungry, drunk, sick, or otherwise unhealthy, do not come to class. You will be allowed to make it up. If you come to class like that and I have to throw you out, you will not be happy."

He scanned the class. "That's all. You're dismissed early."

Kagome's last class on that Monday was Public Speaking. The teacher was calming and while Kagome was still upset about talking in front of people, she wasn't as scared as before.

Her second day of classes she ran into two very...odd ladies.

The first class of the day was Magical Artifact Identification. She met Sango inside and they talked about their Christmas before class. And they both stared when their teacher came into the room.

An ancient woman, so old she must have stirred the biological soup, bounced into the classroom and sat on the edge of the desk. She was only a foot high and carried a large walking stick. "Hi, kiddies," she said. "I'm Cologne. This is Magical Artifact Identification class. We're going to start with the same sheets of paper everyone else has given to you. The only thing that changes on those things is the professor's name and where they can be reached."

She hauled out a pile of papers from a drawer and gave them to a student to pass out. "The next thing is your books. The text is required and you'll be reading all of it. I don't require that you know everything because I'm going to tell you exactly what will be on your tests. There will be slideshows in this class of the artifacts. Those slides are your test. Write it down, memorize it, you pass. Doze off like Ranma, you fail." She cackled and bounced out of the class.

Tuesday's second class was Intro. to Biology. A tall red-haired woman dominated the class and instructed them matter-of-factly what they were supposed to be doing. The odd part came in when she asked to be called 'Little Washu'.


	18. Chapter 18

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 18<br>Studying

It was the end of the second week since they'd been back at college. Aoshi halted the lesson halfway through the class that Friday. "You've improved to the point where you can be assigned partners," he announced. "Your first assignment will be due a week from now."

He looked around the room and nodded. "Gather your things together, please." The majority of the students shrugged and put their stuff away. A few did it immediately and another few dawdled.

Kagome put her textbook and notebook into her backpack. She slid the pencil she'd been writing with into the front flap and then faced forward.

"If you would stand, we can pair you together," Aoshi explained. He called six pairs before he announced, "Inuyasha and Kagome."

The two glanced at each other and walked up to the desk. He handed them each a few papers and gestured back to their seats. "Since you sit together, you may return back to your seats."

When everyone was partnered, he continued. "You have been paired because of your energy signatures. Each pair is similar in the amount of energy and magic level they possess." He held up the assignments. "These are two fold. One is a list of questions to answer. The other is a small experiment. Your energy has a color and this experiment will show it. If you have any questions, you have my contact information."

He dismissed them and most of the pairs made arrangements to meet with each other or exchanged contact information.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome. "Hey," he said, "did you want to work on this together?"

She nodded at him. "Tonight okay with you?" He shrugged. "The Special around six thirty?"

"Sure," he said. Shouldering his backpack, he left the room. Kagome followed after fishing her drink out of her bookbag and taking a long drink.

Kagome finished her communications homework and made a significant dent in her computing homework before she left her dorm room to go to the cafeteria. She picked up a thick slice of cake with candy sprinkles, a sandwich, and small fountain soda. Finishing her dinner, she ran off for The Special.

She walked up the stairs to the second floor with five minutes to spare. She scanned the room, looking for Inuyasha. Grinning, Kagome walked to one of the curtained booths and slid into the booth opposite him. "Finally," he growled.

She frowned at him. "I've still got five minutes." Reaching into her backpack, she hauled out her textbook and her folder for energy channeling class. She got a pencil and found the correct chapter. Inuyasha was already set up and tapping his pencil impatiently on the table. "I'm ready when you are," she said sweetly.

They quickly settled into their homework. Writing utensils flew across the two page worksheet. Once in a while, someone would get stuck on a problem and the other would respond with a page number where the answer could be found.

When Inuyasha was about halfway through with his worksheet and Kagome had plowed through almost three-quarters of hers, Sango appeared at the end of the booth. She cleared her throat and both of them looked up. She smiled sheepishly at Kagome. "Hi. Did you want something to drink?"

Kagome nodded. "My usual."

Inuyasha grasped his glass and held it out to Sango. "Could you please refill this?"

"Sure. Sprite?" Sango inquired. He nodded and she went off to get their drinks. When she came back, she glanced at Kagome's book. "Kagome, did you finish your artifact homework yet?"

"Last night. Why?"

"I had a problem with some of them," Sango confessed.

Kagome glanced back at her book. "I'm almost finished. When are you off for the night?"

"As of five minutes ago."

Kagome looked across the table at Inuyasha. "Do you mind if she joins us?"

"No," Inuyasha said absentmindedly. He turned a page in his textbook and frowned thoughtfully.

She looked back at Sango. "Go get your book and we'll work on it." Sango nodded and ran off.

Kagome finished the last of her energy channeling homework and pulled out the right books for artifact identification. Sango appeared a few minutes after that with her books in hand. She slid into the booth beside Kagome and they covered what had confused Sango.

They puzzled over a sword until Inuyasha snorted. "That's one of the swords of Ruumeki. It's an artifact because it's only been found three times since he made it."

"Huh?" Sango said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's one of the Wandering Swords. They appear when someone really needs one. Strange guy made them." He returned to the last problem of his channeling homework.

Sango wrote the last description down and smiled at Kagome. "Thank you so much," she said gratefully. She looked at Inuyasha and told him thanks as well. He nodded and packed up his bag.

"So, when are we doing the other half?" Inuyasha asked before he left.

"Well, since I arranged this, why don't you suggest something?" Kagome told him. She frowned at the textbook. "Go in there!" She shoved hard and the book slid into the backpack.

"Tomorrow?" he said uncertainly. "Can't do that part here, though."

"Yeah," Kagome said slowly looking around. "Your house or my dorm room?"

"House," Inuyasha said promptly. "Dorms aren't really private. Sesshoumaru'll probably be around, too."

Kagome shrugged and scooted to the end of the booth. "Sure. What time?"

"One okay?"

"Yeah." She stood up and said, "See you at one, then."

Kagome stood hesitantly on the porch and knocked. "Coming!" someone called. She felt the vibrations of footsteps through the floor and looked up as the door opened. "Come in, Kagome," Sesshoumaru said, gesturing for her to enter.

She stepped inside and accepted his offer of a drink. She walked into the kitchen with nothing but her backpack.

She gave Inuyasha a dirty look when she walked through the doorway into his room. "Your brother is master of the kitchen," she accused.

Inuyasha looked over at her, abandoning the homework on his desk. His eyes lit and he pointed at his bed. "Set it down."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "Nothing but a maid."

The serving tray balanced a plate of cookies, three tuna sandwiches, and two ice cold sodas. Inuyasha immediately snatched a sandwich and a cookie. One bite and he rolled his eyes. "I love living with him," he said happily.

"Just for the food," Kagome said with a sigh. "You'll have to be careful. Whichever girl is the best cook is the one you'll marry."

"Nah," Inuyasha said, shaking his head. He swallowed the large mouthful of tuna, salad dressing, and bread. "The one who doesn't care how much ramen I eat."

"You like ramen?"

"No," he corrected. "I love ramen." He bit into the cookie and sighed.

Kagome picked the second sandwich up and nibbled at it. Who would have thought I'd be sitting on a guy's bed? It doesn't even phase me now. This summer it would have. The early part of fall it would have. But once you've seen guys walking around in nothing but a towel and flipflops... Inuyasha's never been anything but nice, either.

Inuyasha polished off the first sandwich and went after the third. He paused and glanced at Kagome. "Did you want half?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, you take it. I don't want more than one sandwich and a couple of cookies."

He took the sandwich and raised an eyebrow. "One of those girl things? Oh, I'm on a diet?"

Kagome grinned. "How about I'm not a guy?" She gave the sandwich a very pointed look. "That's definitely a guy thing. Oh, I have to eat my own weight every two hours?"

Inuyasha snorted. "So have you looked over the homework?"

She pushed the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and reached for her backpack. "Yeah, I did. Does it seem overly simple to you?"

"Mm-hm," Inuyasha agreed with his mouth full.

Kagome re-read the instructions. Stretch out your hand, concentrate, and you'll see a flash of light. That is your energy color.

It's got to be more complicated, she thought furiously. She picked up another chocolate chip cookie and munched on that while she read the instructions again.

Inuyasha finished his second sandwich and a couple cookies. "Did you want to go first?" he asked.

"Why do I have to go first?"

"You're a lady, that's why." She continued to look at him and he shrugged. "I'll go first. Just remember that I tried to be a gentleman."

He stretched out a hand so that it was surrounded by the blue of his wall. It wouldn't have been really great to put his hand in another direction, look at it, and mistake the desk's color for his energy color.

Inuyasha meditated and slowed his breathing. He stared at his hand for a few long minutes. He had just gotten bored and was considering calling Aoshi when he started. "What?" Kagome asked.

He brought his hand close and stared at it. "Huh." Inuyasha glanced at her. "It was red."

"Just red?" she asked.

"I didn't get a really long look," he admitted. "You try."

Kagome eagerly did what Inuyasha had done. Several minutes went by and she took her hand down. "I don't think I get it."

"Try it again," he urged.

She reluctantly repeated the actions with the same result. "No good," she said.

Inuyasha looked at the wall speculatively. "Come on," he said mysteriously and hopped off the bed. "Let's go into another room."

He led her out of his room and into the room to his right. "This is really messy," he warned. "But it might be better for this."

Pushing the door open, he walked inside. Kagome winced. "Yeah, I know," he said. "This is where we put everything that didn't fit anywhere else. Bookshelves, chairs, odds and ends..."

"But," he said, "it has white walls. Go ahead."

With a heavy sigh, Kagome repeated the meditation and looked at her hand. Her eyes widened and she smirked. "Whose idea was it to look at a blue energy color in a blue room?"

"I thought that was it," Inuyasha said arrogantly.  
>-<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: This is a story by Moonsilver, left untouched from how they wrote it years ago.**

.

.

.

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 19

Valentine's Day

Sango closed her book with a flourish. "Done!" she said.

Sitting beside her, Kagome wrote the last word of her answer. "Close behind you," she said quietly, darting a glance at the book.

Across from the two girls, Inuyasha grumbled. "Three more."

Kagome finished her homework and began packing up. "Finished," she announced. "See you tomorrow, Inuyasha. Thank you for the help, Sango."

"No problem," Sango said waving off the thank you.

Inuyasha looked up at her. "Uh-uh," he disagreed.

"What?" Kagome asked, looking at him. "We're not working tomorrow?"

He began packing his stuff. "I'm walking you back to your dorm."

Sango tried not to laugh. It was so typically Inuyasha. Kagome frowned. "I'm nineteen years old."

"By three days," Inuyasha interrupted.

"And I can walk two or three blocks by myself. It's only eight o'clock. There are plenty of people around."

"Yeah, I know you can walk that far. I'm more concerned about people helping you walk that far," Inuyasha grumbled. Everything was packed and he slid out of the book. Sango moved out and Kagome slid into her space.

"I can't believe this," she muttered. "I'm like a five-year-old that can't cross the street by herself."

"But Kagome, you're on the right side of the street," Sango said grinning. "The Special is on the same side as your dorm."

"How many people have asked you for a date tonight?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome shifted her feet and didn't look at him. "Eight. In an hour and a half. While you were already with me and Sango."

Sango smiled at Kagome. "Didn't you say you'd already filled up two trash bags with notes, candy, and flowers?"

She threw her hands into the air. "Fine! You can walk me to the dorm, but I can go inside by myself."

"Deal," Inuyasha accepted.

Inuyasha left her at the door and Kagome walked up the stairs to her room. She sighed. Today had been a tiring day. Constant requests for dates, notes slipped into her backpack, flowers, candy, and notes overflowing her bed...

She unlocked the door and flipped on the light switch. I want to look at my email and go to bed, she thought.

Movement caught her eye and she stared at her bed. She swallowed.

A mass of long black hair moved. Startling blue eyes pierced her gaze and she was frozen to the spot. Sensual lips moved into a lingering smile. "Hello," he said.

Kagome managed to blink. "What are you doing in my bed?" she finally asked.

The smile grew wider. "I'm for you."

"What?" Kagome said in disbelief. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Out."

The lips went from smiling to pouting. He began to sit up. "But you haven't even seen...me...yet." The blanket started to slip. Kagome's eyes widened when the blanket revealed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. A bare foot hit the floor and the blanket slid to the right, showing a bare hip.

Kagome squinched her eyes shut. He's naked, her mind babbled. There's a naked guy in your bed. "Pull the blanket up," she said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to leave if you don't." Why Kagome, she thought. That sounds like a really good idea. Leaving before this situation gets worse.

She heard material move and an amused voice say, "You can open your eyes now, little one."

"Little one?" she said, peeking one eye open a slit to make sure he was telling the truth. Kagome opened her eyes and glared at him.

He looked at her and grinned. "Yes. Or would you prefer another name?"

"I'd prefer to know who you are."

He stared at her knowingly. "Does it matter? I am yours to do with as you please for this night."

Kagome tried to puzzle it out. He keeps saying he's mine or for me... "Are you human?" she blurted.

The smile grew wider. "No," he said smoothly. "I'm an incubus."

And what is that, Kagome wondered.

Melly shook her head as she walked up the stairs. She had already passed the two bags of trash set downstairs. Poor kid, she thought. Valentine's Day isn't really romantic for her.

She pushed open the door to her floor and looked down the hall. Chuckling, she took in Kagome's surprised stance. "Hey, Kagome!" she called, walking quickly down the hall. "What is it?"

There wasn't a reply and Melly frowned. "Did your bed break from valentines or something?" she asked. Stepping up beside the girl, she looked into the room, not knowing what she would find.

Melly's eyes focused on Kagome's bed and the male in it. At first she thought, how did a guy get into the room?

Then she noticed the tiny things. The slightly pointed fingernails, the masculine scent, the sensuality in every move the man made.

Melly scowled at him. "Out," she ordered.

He pouted at her. "I wasn't sent for you. I was sent for her," he said, pointing at Kagome.

"Oh, yeah?" Melly challenged. She glared at him. Stepping inside the room, she sketched a symbol in the air and said clearly, "Begone!"

The blankets sagged as the body disappeared. Melly took the extra steps to her bed and sat down. "I'll say this... You've certainly made my last year more interesting," she said, tossing a grin at Kagome.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, taking a step forward.

"An incubus," Melly answered shortly.

"What's that?"

Melly stared at her roommate. "You don't know what an incubus is?"

Kagome shook her head. "It told me what it was, but..."

She took a deep breath. "An incubus is a male sex demon. They exist to have sex. Someone summoned one as a present for you."

Kagome swallowed hard. "Eww..."

"The first thing we are going to do is email your mom," Melly said firmly. "I'm not always going to be your roommate and you need a heavy dispelling agent. Someone in your family has to know how to infuse an object with one."

"Dad's pretty good," Kagome said, walking over to her computer and turning it on.

"Tell them what happened. You had an incubus in your bed and you want something to keep them out." Melly instructed.

Kagome wrinkled her nose as she looked at her bed. "I could really hurt whoever did this."

"Why?"

She looked across at her roommate. "I'm tired and I can't go to sleep in that bed."

"It'll be hard to explain why you want another bed," Melly said joking.

"No, I'll sleep in that bed. I've just got to wash and dry all the sheets first," Kagome said wearily.

Melly glanced at the bed. "Yeah, the scent could make you have strange dreams." She waggled her eyebrows up and down and Kagome laughed.


	20. Chapter 20

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 20

The Sword

"I have an acquaintance coming for dinner," Sesshoumaru said casually as Inuyasha walked into the kitchen.

He shrugged. "Okay."

"I'd like you to be here."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be here for dinner? What are you up to?" Sesshoumaru smiled to himself and turned back to preparing dinner.

Sesshoumaru answered the door and ushered the older gentleman inside. He took off his coat and Sesshoumaru hung it up for him. "Inuyasha is upstairs. Dinner should be ready in twenty minutes."

He turned and called up the stairs, "Inuyasha!"

There were a few thuds and then a door squeaked open. "Yeah?"

"Come down and meet our guest."

Inuyasha walked down the hall and down the steps. The older man held out a hand and he shook it. "Inuyasha, this is Toutousai. Toutousai, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru looked at his younger brother. "He's a sword specialist."

Inuyasha eyed him warily. "Yeah?"

"Yes, I am," Toutousai replied, giving the young man a good once-over. "Where is it?" Inuyasha jerked a thumb toward his room. "Well, go get it." Inuyasha stood for another second, then turned on his heel and ran upstairs.

Who does he think he is giving me orders, Inuyasha fumed. He stomped into his room and grabbed the necklace.

But... If he knows anything about this sword. Inuyasha's temper cooled off. Meditation class had been worth something. He took a couple deep breaths and found that his anger was streaming away from him.

One nail tapped the miniature sword on its cord necklace. The cord had never broken in all the years he had worn it. That was suspicious.

A small smile on his lips, Inuyasha remembered when he had first found the sword.

His parents house was huge. There were rooms that hadn't been opened since grandfather's time, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru teased.

It was one of those he had wandered into when he was about four years old. He remembered trying all of the doors, but they were all locked. When he found one that wasn't, he walked right in.

It was some kind of private room. He had wrinkled his nose, but looked around anyway. There was a bed, a desk, bureau... In other words, a boring room that smelled because it hadn't been opened in years.

He had just been about to walk out when he saw it. The old scabbard was leaning against the bureau's side.

Inuyasha had trotted over and grabbed it. His new toy in hand, he went back to his room. His father wouldn't let him have a sword and Sesshoumaru had just gotten one. Fine, he had thought, I found my own.

The next morning, his mom dressed him for school and off he went. When he came home, he pulled the sword out from under the bed to look at it again.

His mother had come in to take him to dinner and saw him with it. "Inuyasha," she said, "why do you have a sword?"

He had cradled it to him. "I found it!"

She walked over and held out a hand. Guilty faced, he let her have it. "You're not old enough to have a sword," she told him gently. "You might cut yourself."

"No, I can't!" he insisted. Before she could stop him, he had pulled out the blade.

It was broken along the edge. There wasn't any way that sword could hold an edge. "Inuyasha, it's too long," she said.

His hand pushed the sword back into the sheath. He pouted and didn't pull his hand back from the sword hilt. "I wish you were smaller."

Inuyasha's mother dropped her hands from the sword as it started to move. Inuyasha grinned at the three inch long sword in his right hand. "Now it's small enough!" He looked up at his mother and the smile vanished. "Mommy?"

She managed a weak smile and then took him directly to his father. "Honey?" she called into the dining room. "Do we have any magic swords in the house?"

"A few," he said. "Did you want one?"

She pointed to her son. "Show Daddy." Inuyasha did and they had a hunt for the room immediately after dinner. They had done some research on the sword, but only the name of the owner was listed. His name had been Arata and one of Inuyasha's great-grandfather's sons.

Inuyasha shook himself out of his daydreaming and ran back downstairs. He handed the necklace to Toutousai. He examined it and said, "What have you found out?"

He shrugged. "It can grow bigger or smaller. It belonged to one of my great-grandfather's sons, Arata. It doesn't like being separated from me. It's followed me to school a few times. Mom finally put it on a necklace and let me wear it."

"That's it?" Toutousai said, raising an eyebrow. He thrust the necklace at him. "Make it bigger."

Inuyasha took it from him. He told the sword, "Grow bigger." Once it was full-size, he handed it back to him. Toutousai looked it over until dinner was ready without saying a word.

After dinner was over, they settled into the living room. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "So what do you think?"

Toutousai drank from his glass and leaned forward. "It's name is the Tetsusaiga. Your great-grandfather had it made for his hanyou son, Arata."

"How do you know all this just from looking at the sword?" Inuyasha blurted out.

The older man looked at Inuyasha and snorted. "Because I'm the one who made the sword."

"You?" Inuyasha said in disbelief.

"Yes, me. You know that youkai live a lot longer than hanyous or humans. Although, I was younger in those days..." He coughed and went on. "The sword was created to keep Arata alive. Hanyous weren't popular back then and he needed the sword to defend himself."

He looked at Inuyasha. "The sword was made for a hanyou. Your family hasn't had many since Arata, so it probably got lonely. When you found it, it decided to stay with you."

Inuyasha glanced down at his necklace. "The sword...was lonely?"

"You a parrot?" Toutousai asked mildly. He pointed at Inuyasha's necklace. "That thing has a mind of its own. It's intelligent, but not overly so. It'll follow you, try to do what you ask of it, and it chooses who it is wielded by."

The conversation switched to Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga and Inuyasha went upstairs to prepare for class.

Inuyasha glanced at the clock. Nine thirty on a Monday morning. His eyes swung to focus on Toutousai again. Pity his brother hadn't warned him that the old man was going to be presenting to his swordmanship class today.

"And now we'll have a demonstration of one of my swords. Inuyasha, come up here."

Gritting his teeth, he stood and walked to the front of the room. This had better be good...

Toutousai gave the class a brief description of the sword and how he had come to be. He had Inuyasha make the sword grow smaller and larger before he sprang the trap. "Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha invited me to their house last night to talk about the sword. There was one more thing about it that I didn't tell them."

He looked around the class and shook his head. "No. There isn't anyone suitable in here. I'll go find someone." He ducked outside, leaving the class alone with their teacher.

Kagome slid her backpack strap up onto her shoulder. Go to the mage library and work on that energy channeling reading, she thought. I'm so glad that Noin let us out of class twenty minutes early. Now I won't have to rush through it.

"Pardon?"

She turned to look at the elderly man. "Yes? May I help you?"

He smiled. "Yes, you can. I need some help with a demonstration for my class. It's nothing hard. You just have to stand there."

Kagome thought for a second. "Will any magic be cast on me?" He shook his head. "Okay."

Inuyasha looked up as Toutousai entered the room again with a person in tow. He frowned when he saw Kagome. What's she doing here?

"This young lady has consented to help today," Toutousai told the class. "Now, Kagome, I'd like you to stand by the blackboard. Inuyasha, move over toward the desks."

They moved and Toutousai looked at Kagome. "I did promise that no magic would be cast on you, correct?" She nodded. "Sadly, you did not ask if any magic would be cast." He lifted his hands and inhaled. "I'm sorry, young lady, but for this demonstration you have to be hurt."

He exhaled and fire erupted toward Kagome. Her eyes widened and she froze. Inuyasha leapt in front of her before the fire reached her.

Toutousai straightened and looked at Inuyasha with pride. "As the class can see, the sword has another function."

Inuyasha stared at the sword. Kagome peeked around him and frowned. "Wasn't that a rusty stick?" she asked quietly.

"The sword was made from the fang of an inuyoukai for his hanyou son. The sword will protect anyone, but Inuyasha has never invoked this part of Tetsusaiga. It was best to find someone that was human and fairly defenseless."

"Hey!" Kagome said loudly. "I am not!"

Toutousai glanced at her. "You are a human female and susceptible to fire."

"I'm also the Source and most spells don't work on me."

"Oh," he said. He shrugged. "Inuyasha still defended you so it worked. Now for the last part of the powers of the Tetsusaiga, we'll have to move outside. Gather your things. You'll be leaving after this short demonstration."

The class moved outside and Toutousai hauled a sword out of his pile of stuff. "Have you had any sword training?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Some. Dad made sure we knew which end to use. I only had a few years, so I'm still a beginner."

"Good." Toutousai leapt at him.

Kagome watched with the class. Inuyasha may have had some training, but Toutousai had more. For some reason, even though Inuyasha was a beginner, Toutousai never connected.

A few minutes later, Toutousai called a halt. "The next thing that is built into the sword is...it will help its wielder. Inuyasha does not need to know how to fight with a sword as long as he uses that sword." He grinned. "That sword will also only answer to Inuyasha. Class dismissed."

The class dispersed and Inuyasha had a few words with Toutousai about threatening Kagome and hiding things. He waved them off and said a cheerful good-bye.

Kagome picked up her backpack. "Um, thank you?"

"For what?"

"The fire and jumping in front of me. You didn't know it wouldn't burn." She shifted from one foot to the next. "I'm going to study at the library. Energy channeling."

"Mind if I tag along?"

Kagome grinned. "As long as I don't get dragged into another class demonstration."


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for missing an update time, Dear Readers. Seems I've caught a cold, and it knocked me down more than I expected. Then again, I've not been sick in well over a year, so I suppose I should've expected catching ****_something_****. Anyway, enjoy!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 21

An Invitation

Kagome glanced to the right of the sidewalk and grimaced. "I thought we were supposed to have snow," she said.

Sango shrugged. "It does snow around here. Usually we get a couple inches in November, a few more in December, and then feet in January, February, and March. I don't know what's going on."

"Well, it didn't snow in November. There was that morning that we had a dusting in December."

"Ah!" Sango said, raising a hand. "We did get a few snowstorms while you were on Christmas break."

Kagome shook her head. "That's what it is. The weather doesn't like me. It hasn't snowed since. Not really."

Sango tilted her head back and looked up at the gray sky. "It's only the middle of February. We've had snow, but not that much. There's been some freezing rain." She grinned at the other girl as they walked across the intersection. "Happy about going home?"

Kagome shrugged. "Sort of."

She frowned and glanced at Kagome. "What's wrong?"

"First, I live a little far away to drive. I have to take a plane home." Sango opened the door and Kagome walked inside. They headed toward the fantasy and science fiction section of the bookstore.

"I had to go home for Thanskgiving, Christmas, and now these two vacations coming up. I know my parents want me home..."

Sango nodded slowly. "It's a lot of money and you feel a little guilty about going to college, tuition, paying for books, etc." Kagome looked at her puzzled. Sango shrugged. "Me, too. Except for the whole going home thing."

"Yeah. The money isn't really an issue. I could fly home on a weekend if I wanted. I like flying, but I don't like it that much." Kagome grinned. "I do want to go home, but I just got here! And we've got another vacation in April!"

"So you want to stay here, why...?"

Kagome sighed. "It seems like a lot of money to ferry me back home for a week when I'll be going back home in April. But I can't stay here. The dorms close on Friday."

Accepting it, Sango browsed the shelves with Kagome. There wasn't much she could do for her friend except lend an ear to her problems. It was true that the dorms would be locked on Friday evening. Everyone was expected to go home by five p.m.

Sango paused. She turned to Kagome with her idea. "Kagome?" she asked. "Why can't you stay with me?"

She froze. "Huh," she said finally. "Pack a few things, stay with you, and avoid the whole flying thing." Kagome grinned. "I know why. Because your mom and my mom wouldn't go for it."

"We could ask," Sango said eagerly.

Kagome nodded and held up a book. "Let me go pay for this."

Kirara was absolutely fine with Kagome staying. The guest room was ready for her and all that was needed was Kagome's mother's permission.

Sango sat on Melly's bed as Kagome dialed the number. "Hi, Mom," she said. "I've got a question." There was a pause. "I wanted to know if I could stay here this vacation and come home for Easter. Sango's mom said it was okay if I stayed with her and Sango."

There was another longer pause. "I'll be fine. I'll be staying in the guest bedroom and having meals at The Special."

Kagome handed the phone to Sango. "She wants to talk to you."

Sango took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Sango," a warm voice said. "Is it okay if Kagome stays with you?"

She nodded. "Yes." There were a few more questions and Sango handed the phone back to Kagome.

A few more sentences of conversation and everything was set. Kagome hung up the phone and grinned at Sango. "Mom wants to know if you want to visit me this summer for a week in return."

Sango's eyes widened and she nodded. "Sure!"

Kagome glanced around the room. "I'll have to go do laundry today and just make sure I've got two changes of clothes here. But it looks like you've got a guest for next week."


	22. Chapter 22

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 22

Ice

Inuyasha walked down the hallway, carrying a heavy plate in his right hand. "Can't do his own errands," he muttered. He came to the correct door and knocked on the doorframe. "Everybody decent?"

"If we weren't, why would we have the door open?" Melly said from inside.

He peeked inside. "You never know."

Melly grinned at him and saved her document. Kagome clicked the send button on her computer and looked at Inuyasha. "What's that?" she said, pointing.

He walked the few steps to her desk and plunked the plate down on top of a stack of textbooks. "Sesshoumaru wanted me to bring those by."

Kagome began unwrapping the tinfoil around the bottom of the plate. Melly leaned over to see what was going on and ooh'd enthusiastically when it was uncovered. She rolled the chair over and snitched a cookie. Biting into it she said, "Definitely thank your brother for me."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Sure. He said that he made too much this afternoon. There's a few things on there." He nodded toward the plate. "Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, a few pieces of fudge..."

"Fudge!" Melly squeaked and looked eagerly at the plate. Kagome waved a piece at her and swallowed it. "That better not have been the last one or you are in so much trouble." Kagome handed her a piece of fudge and Melly smiled. "You are forgiven."

"Thank you. And thank Sesshoumaru for me," Kagome said politely.

"No problem."

Kagome looked at the clock and began looking for her backpack. It was almost time to go to the Special for their Friday study session.

She found it, shouldered it, and looked back at Melly. "Some of that had better be here when I get back."

"I'll save you a cookie."

"Four."

Melly looked outraged. "Two and a half."

"Two cookies of each kind and two pieces of fudge."

"Deal."

Kagome nodded and started toward the door. She shrugged into her coat, sneakers, and gloves. Inuyasha just shook his head and followed. "Try not to fall down, Kagome," Melly warned.

"I can try," she said with a heavy sigh.

The pair walked down the hall and Inuyasha ventured, "Fall?"

"Yeah. All this ice isn't really great. I almost fell yesterday. If I hadn't had a good grip on the rail, I would have gone down." Kagome began walking down the steps. "I'm not used to walking on ice."

Inuyasha eyed her shoes. "Get out of the sneakers and into some boots."

"I keep meaning to." The steps ended and they stepped out into the main hallway. Kagome paused before she opened the door and sighed. She held onto the rail as she walked down the stairs.

A third of the way down the walk to the main sidewalk, Kagome slipped. She managed not to fall, but her arms windmilled. "Okay?" Inuyasha asked. She nodded and continued walking.

He cast a wary eye at the sidewalk. The university maintenance people were great about scattering salt so that the ice melted, but at this time of night it began to form again. The snow was piled up in the yards with a thick layer of ice on top from the freezing rain they'd had a couple days ago. The winter sun just didn't melt it.

The sidewalk began to slope down toward the corner. Around the corner was the Special. Kagome stepped down and both feet went out from under her.

"Can you even see the ice?" Inuyasha asked, holding her up.

"No," she said sulkily. He set her back on her feet and took his hands out from under her arms.

He held out a hand. "I can. Follow me and I'll steer you around them." She shrugged and took his hand. There were a few moments where she felt a toe slip, but his steady grip held her upright.

She stepped through the door of the Special gratefully. They were ten minutes later than they should be. It usually only took five minutes and now it had taken fifteen. Kagome tromped upstairs and snagged the only available table left. It was out in the middle of the floor when they usually had a booth on the edges. Inuyasha launched into a one-sided conversation concerning Kagome getting herself a pair of boots.

Fifteen minutes later, Sango found them and winced at the noise level. "Going to be hard studying in this," she said, sliding into a chair.

Inuyasha snorted. "Impossible." He pointed at Kagome. "It's her fault. There's ice, she kept falling, and she doesn't have proper footwear."

"I swear, I'll go get a pair of boots tomorrow," Kagome said sarcastically. "If only you'll stop talking about it!"

He looked over at Sango. "What hours do you work on weekends?"

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, both days. Nine to one and then five to seven. I'm off from one to five," Sango answered promptly.

"Then why don't you and Kagome come over to my house at one and we'll study there." Someone squealed and Inuyasha winced. "A lot quieter."

Sango shrugged and looked at Kagome. "What do you think?"

"I think it's great." Kagome gave Inuyasha a sly look. "Will your brother be home?"

"Why? Got a crush on him?"

"No!" Kagome said indignantly. "I just know that he'll feed me. Or I'll have to sneak more cookies."

"Yeah, he'll probably be there and making sandwiches." It was agreed that they'd adjourn and meet at Inuyasha's the next day.

Sango got up from the table smiling. "I'm going to go home and go to sleep," she said happily.

Inuyasha jerked his head toward Kagome. "I've got to walk her home before I hit the sack."

"I can go home myself."

"Yeah, and break something," he muttered. Kagome snorted and grabbed her pack.

Inuyasha followed her out the door and watched as she slipped the first time. She got a few more feet before she slipped again. She managed to right herself and continue.

The third time her foot went out from under her and she fell with a muffled shriek. Inuyasha stepped close to her and looked down. "Anything broken?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head. "No," she whispered. Tears pricked her eyes. There was a big hill, it was dark, and she couldn't see the ice.

"Tilt your knees."

She stared at him. "What?"

"Put your feet flat on the ground." When she didn't comply, he reached down and pushed her feet. He put one hand on her left ankle and got her knee to point up in the air. He repeated this with her right. "Grab your bookbag."

Kagome reached for the strap and held it close to her chest. Leaning over, he put one arm under her knees and lifted. "Thank you," Kagome said softly.

"Hmph. I've done it before. You're getting boots tomorrow."

Knock, knock!

Kagome opened one eye and stared at the door. "Who is it?" she called.

"Me."

"Oh, that's informative," Kagome grumbled. She twisted around to look at the clock. "It's nine o'clock!"

"Yeah. And?"

She groaned and sank back into bed. "It's early."

"Kagome... While I don't mind you dating and all, would you mind making your dates for later in the day?" Melly asked from her bed.

"It's not a date!" she insisted. "I have no idea why he's here!" She frowned. "Speaking of which, why are you pounding on my door at this hour of the morning?"

"Get dressed."

Kagome rolled her eyes and began to get out of bed. "You won't leave until I do, will you?"

"Nope. I'm on a mission."

She shucked off her flannel pajamas and went to the bureau for underthings. Once she was warmly dressed, she unlocked the door and slipped out into the hallway. "What?" she asked.

Inuyasha pointed down at her feet. "Boots."

She gaped at him. "I got to sleep after midnight last night. I've had maybe seven and a half hours of sleep. You came all the way from your house to this dorm, in the cold weather, just to badger me about buying a pair of boots?"

He grinned. "Yup."

Kagome let her head slump forward and stared at the ground. "Why me?"

"Because if you fall down and break something, I'm going to get stuck with another partner for energy channeling. Can't do that class while you're healing from something probably." Her head didn't come up. "You're not from around here. I am. I know how to pick out a pair of boots."

She tilted her head back up. "You're coming with me?" He nodded. "Oh, wonderful," she groaned.

"Here's how the day is going to go. You're going to go get your purse or whatever that thing is that women carry around that weighs a couple hundred pounds. Bundle up because it's cold outside. I'll drive you down the road and treat you to breakfast at the Special or McDonald's. Then we'll go to where I buy my boots. If we manage to shop around until Sango gets off of work, we'll pick her up in my car and go study at my house." He finished and looked at her. "What do you think?"

She pursed her lips. "McDonald's," she said solemnly. Turning, she opened the door and went inside. Her backpack was stuffed with studying materials and her purse, when she stepped back outside bundled up in her coat and gloves.

As promised, he took her to breakfast and then a twenty minute drive to the next town over for boots. Kagome got out of the car and looked at the log cabin store. "Here?" she asked dubiously.

"Yeah. We'll look at the ladies section first."

She turned to look at his back. "First?" He didn't answer. She sighed and followed him into the store. He examined the bottom of all of the ladies boots and shook his head. He walked out of that section and to the back right corner of the room. Kagome raised an eyebrow. She hadn't seen this when she walked in.

Inuyasha walked down the steps and began looking around. After a few minutes, Kagome sighed. "It would help if I knew what I was looking for," she said pointedly.

He held up a boot. "You want a good tread on the bottom. Half of the ladies boots upstairs have those tiny little grooves. Your sneakers are better to walk in than those things. You want a deep tread."

Kagome looked at the boot's bottom. It had at least half inch tread on the bottom. She made a face. "It's brown."

He put it back. "Yeah. I thought so."

"Thought what?"

"Got to find a balance between looks and tread," he muttered.

"So I don't want ugly boots."

"You want to fall down?"

"No. I just want a pair of boots that the ice isn't going to run away from."

Inuyasha kept browsing. Kagome got tired of following him so she sat down. He examined most of the boots they had and nodded.

He walked back to the bench she had gotten comfortable on and sat beside her. "Do you know what size you have to have?"

She made a face at him. "No. I've never had guy shoes before. I'm a nine and a half in women's."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Figure it out somehow. You didn't like that honey brown. How about deep brown or black?"

"Whatever."

He scowled and got up. Prowling around the aisles until he found what he was looking for, he stood in front of the row of boxes. "Nine and a half," he mumbled. "Try an eight, first." He pulled the appropriate box out of the stack and stuck it under his arm.

Back at the bench, Inuyasha pulled the top off and laced up the right boot. "See how that fits."

Kagome smiled at the color. "Blue?" she said. Inuyasha nodded. She pulled on the blue boot with deep brown edging. Stepping down, she frowned. "It's too big."

She took it off and Inuyasha went to get her a size smaller. He returned with a seven and a half and a plain seven. The seven was the one that fit and Kagome happily had a pair of boots.

"They've got good tread and they're insulated," he told her. "Waterproof, too." Kagome just paid for the boots and then pulled them on in the store.

Kagome decided that having Inuyasha as a packmule was fun. She had shopped for a few things and bugged Inuyasha into carrying them for her.

Soon it was almost one o'clock and they picked up Sango. The next four hours were spent hashing out homework, eating Sesshoumaru's sandwiches, and deciphering the mysteries of aliens in the universe.


	23. Chapter 23

**About a quarter of the way through! Hope ya'll are enjoying Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 23

A Cold

Aoshi stared at the class. There were two students missing who had already sent him an email saying they wouldn't be in class due to a cold. His lips slightly turned upward. "Kagome Higurashi," he said aloud. She straightened and looked at him. "Come back to class on Friday."

She frowned. "Pardon?"

He glanced toward the door. "Your energy is fluctuating. In other words, you are about to have a cold." Inuyasha grimaced. Kagome began to pack up her things.

When Melly returned, she found Kagome swallowing something. "I hope those are vitamins," she said flatly.

Kagome swallowed and shook her head. "Aoshi said I had a cold, so I couldn't stay in class."

Her roommate set her backpack down on the floor. "Did you go to the health center?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. They said I've got the cold that's running around. Take Tylenol until it goes away."

Melly rolled her eyes. "Helpful, aren't they?"

ah-choo!

She sighed. "I'm definitely going to be drinking orange juice by the gallon. Okay, Kagome. Let me share with you the secrets of getting through a cold while on campus. What have you got homework-wise?"

The sick girl bit her lip and thought. "It's Monday so I've got all my homework caught up. I'll need notes from my classes..."

Melly grinned. "If you don't feel too bad, you should go to class. There'll probably only be a day where you can't drag yourself out of bed. For example, that biology class of yours. It's not great to make up a lab."

Kagome looked at her with sad eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. "It's probably a sniffling, coughing cold. Forget the Tylenol, go with Dayquil. It clears everything up and we'll dose you with Nyquil at bedtime. When's your downtime?"

Kagome thought for a minute. "After two on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and at noon on Tuesday and Thursday."

"So you'll be in your bed for most of the week if you feel like it. Trust me, you won't feel that bad. Take a few tissues with you, don't miss your medicine, and you'll be okay."

"If you say so."

Kagome heard the knock on the door at four on Wednesday afternoon. "Come in," she called.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him. "Okay. My head's a little heavy, but that's it."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "You're sick. If you feel okay, you should be in class."  
>"I am." She saw his confused look and explained. "I'm going to all my classes except energy channeling." Laughing, she told him, "Melly has introduced me to the wonder that is Dayquil."<p>

"Oh." Inuyasha recovered quickly and rummaged in his backpack. "I brought you your notes."

Kagome stared at him as he found them and handed them to her. "You didn't have to." Eyes widening slightly, she looked at the typed pages.

He shrugged. "It's okay. It was either type them up or have you looking over my shoulder all Saturday. Do you think you'll be better by then?"

"Aoshi told me to come to class on Friday. If I'm better, he'll say so." Lifting her eyes to the ceiling, "I don't feel bad right now."

ah-choo

"Yeah," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "I can see that."

"So I sneeze and cough a little. I have a bag of cough drops and a box of tissues. I'm fine!" she insisted.

"All right," he conceded. "I'll see you on Friday then?" She nodded and that was their farewell.

Thursday, he was back again. "Sesshoumaru can start running his own errands," he grumbled as he received the okay to enter the room. "Kagome, he's done it again."

"Who's done what?" Inuyasha held up the plastic bag and lifted out an object. Her eyes lit on the round metal tin.

"Sess sent you a care package." He sat down on the edge of her bed and began handing stuff to her as she sat at her computer desk. "Tin full of chocolate chunk cookies and peanut butter cookies. Butterscotch and peppermint candies for your throat." She caught the tiny polka-dotted bags. He held up a box of tissues. "These are supposedly really soft. He thought your nose might be hurting."

She took them gratefully. "After the first day, it does get sore," she admitted.

He scrunched the plastic bag and put it in his pocket. "Feel better today?"

She shrugged. "My nose is still sore, but I'm not sneezing as much. I'm mostly coughing now." Holding up the candies, she grinned. "These will come in really handy."

He glanced uncomfortably around her room. Frowning, he pointed at the black bags by the end of her bed. "What're those?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. "Those are 'Get Well Soon' presents from half the male students on campus. Inuyasha, you're a guy. Would you send a sick girl flowers?"

He shook his head. "No. Best case scenario, she wouldn't be able to smell 'em. Worst case, they'd make her sneeze."

"Thank you! I knew you were more intelligent than them. I've also gotten lots of notes for 'make-up study dates' and offers of nursing me back to health." She growled. "Note that no one has shown up in person."

"Would you want them to?"

Kagome deflated. "No." She unwrapped one of the bags and offered him a butterscotch candy. He accepted and she took one for herself. "Thank you for showing up."

"Heh. You only wanted the candy."

Kagome pressed a hand to her forehead. "Am I that transparent?"

In class on Friday, Aoshi gave her a good once-over. He shook his head. "Stay and take notes, but no participation. You're not contagious right now." He glanced at Inuyasha. "Your homework is delayed. Both this week and next week are due Monday from next."

Kagome sat down and Inuyasha rejoiced that he wouldn't be doing the energy channeling homework this weekend. They'd have to work twice as hard next weekend, but that was how it went.

Melly glared at Kagome when she came in the room. Sitting heavily on the bed, she said, "It's all your fault."

"Huh?"

ah-choo

Kagome clapped a hand over her mouth. "You... caught my cold?"

Melly snorted. "Of course. I catch every cold and virus my roommate has. Always have done. Why do you think I was so adamant about you getting a flu shot? Now pass me the tissues and candies over there. And don't forget the Dayquil."


	24. Chapter 24

**And we're wrapping up Kagome's first year of college just as we're wrapping up 2014 and preparing for 2015! Hope you're all enjoying Moonsilver's story as much as I did. I'll continue sharing their work into the new year!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 24

End of the First Year

Kagome sat back in her computer chair and stared at the screen. She had an exam on Wednesday and one on Friday. Two exams out of five classes. Public Speaking's final had been a speech last week. Energy Channeling's final had been to bring in an inanimate object that had some of their energy inside it. Intro. to Computing's final had been a take home exam.

The only two left were Intro. to Biology and Magical Artifact Identification. She was going to be studying with Sango for both of them. They had the I.D. class together and Sango was a Biology major.

It's only Monday and I'm going home Friday afternoon. It's been a whole year, she realized.

Melly strode through the door and smiled at Kagome. "Well, what do you think? Your first year and you survived."

Kagome nodded. "I was just thinking that."

She walked into the room and sat down on her bed. "I'm graduating this Saturday. You're welcome to come if you want." Melly winked. "See me all dressed up in a black mage robe."

Kagome's eyes widened and Melly winced. "Ah... No. Illusion mage, remember? The black robe is just for the normal university. The mage one I'll be in a blue one."

Kagome frowned. "How do they handle that? You're graduating with two degrees, right?"

Melly nodded. "Sure am. Normal university's graduation ceremony is in the morning; the mage university's is in the afternoon. We have plenty of time."

"But I have to be out of the dorm on Friday..." Kagome thought for a minute. "I could ask Sango if I could stay with her for the extra day. I can ask my parents to pick me up a day later."

"If you've got a minute," Melly said carefully, "there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you." Kagome sat up and paid attention. "I'm not going to be here next year and there are a few things you need to know."

"Do you have a way to tell if someone has put something in your drink or enchanted it?" she said bluntly.

Kagome shook her head. "But I have Dispel class next semester."

Melly nodded. "That's good. I'm going to teach you a few spells this week that you need to know. One is how to tell if anyone has tampered with your dorm room magically. One is the drink one. They're both really simple, but you need to know what's in back of them for it to work."

She got up from the bed and picked up a figurine of a dragon. "I want you to take this home with you," she said firmly.

"Why?"

"The spell will let you know if anyone has tampered with the room. This little guy keeps them from doing anything. For example, if someone tries to do something malicious, such as put poison in your drink, this guy doesn't let it happen. The incubus wasn't malicious. The notes aren't harmful."

Melly looked around. "You've got the thing that'll keep an incubus out... One for the room..."

She shrugged. "I'll probably think of something else later. I'll teach you the protective ones and-" Melly looked at Kagome. "Don't get all worried about it. It's just common sense."

"Okay," Kagome said softly.

Melly sat back down on her bed. "So we'll make sure that you're not ingesting something you're not supposed to and that your room is safe to sleep in. This isn't just about your kind of problems with the whole Source of Magic thing. I used it to keep practical jokers out."

"Now," she said, leaning back, "I'm also going to be giving you my refrigerator because I won't be needing it in my apartment. The microwave you'll have to replace for your own dorm."

"I can't."

"They're simple to find," Melly protested. "They sell them every day."

"No, the refrigerator. You're giving me a protective spell and you're going to teach me all these other things. I can at least give you a twenty for the fridge," Kagome said firmly.

Melly shrugged. "All right. If it means that much to you."

"So I have a refrigerator and she's going to teach me more things to protect myself," Kagome said happily.

Sango nodded. "Great. Are you going to take it home with you?"

"Take what home?" They walked up the steps to Inuyasha's house and knocked.

"The refrigerator."

"Come in!" Inuyasha called.

Kagome's jaw dropped. "I hadn't thought of that. And my parents are only coming with the car to pick up my stuff. How am I going to haul it home with me?"

"Haul what home?" Inuyasha asked, coming out of the kitchen.

Kagome quickly told him about the refrigerator. Inuyasha swallowed the cookie in his mouth and shrugged. "We've got a big garage. I bet Sess'll let you put it in there for a couple of months."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Could you ask him for me?" Inuyasha nodded and they went upstairs to study.

On the way home, Kagome asked Sango if she could stay with her if her parents could put off the trip for a day or two. She readily agreed and said she'd speak to her mom about it. Kagome climbed the stairs and walked down to her dorm room. She stopped in the doorway.

Melly pointed the end of a pencil at her bed. "Some guy dropped it off. What do you want to do with it?"

Kagome dropped her backpack on the floor. She stared at the giant pink teddy bear. "You know," she said slowly, "if any of the guys actually took the time to get to know me, they would know that I don't like pink."

Melly giggled. "I guess that's a plea for 'hold the other side of the trash bag while I stuff this thing in there'." She got up from her bed as Kagome put her hand on the box.

The presents got worse by the day. Kagome and Sango would usually go to study at Inuyasha's house for a few hours. Whenever Kagome returned, a new gift would be waiting for her.

Sango walked up with her on Thursday. "What is it this time?" she asked eagerly.

Kagome poked the bag with her gloves. "I haven't opened it yet," she confessed. She undid the ties and picked at the tissue paper. She made an awful face at it. "Pink tissue paper," she grumbled.

Sango agreed. "Pink is good in moderation."

She pulled the present out of the bag and her eyes softened. "Wow..." She turned it this way and that to catch the sparkles.

It was a small glass dragon with blue sapphires for eyes. Its wings were tucked close to its body and it was lying down as if for a nap.

"That's pretty," Sango agreed.

Kagome reluctantly put it back in the bag. "I can't keep it."

Sango blinked. "What have you gotten so far?"

"A huge pink teddy bear, a couple of waterglobes, jewelry, all types of candy, notes, flowers, a box of live butterflies, a hand-carved music box, a fancy purple quilt..."

"What have you done with all of it?"

Kagome blinked. "I asked Melly to check it for spells and then donated it to the local Goodwill. I can't keep any of it. Can you imagine what would happen if I did? The lucky guy would present himself as my boyfriend, fiance, or worse!"

Sango sighed and looked at the bag. "It's a shame, though. That was really pretty."

"The guy doesn't know me. I don't have a clue who he is."

"Is there a note?" Sango asked.

Kagome glanced at the bag. "Maybe." She dug around in the bag for a little while and pulled out a card. "I can't read this."

Sango held out a hand. "Let me see."

She kept it away from her. "No. I mean, I can't read it because it might have a spell on it."

"I can fix that."

The girls looked at Melly. She walked into the room. "Remember that spell we've been practicing for seeing if you're ingesting something you shouldn't? Insert the card for the drink and it works just the same."

Kagome worked the spell and read the card. It was the same old flowery nonsense she got in high school. She dumped the card and then turned the gift over to Melly. "Nice," she admired. "Expensive, though."

She looked up at Kagome. "Instead of giving this to Goodwill, why don't you take it downtown to the business and tell them that you don't want the gift and could they please give it back to the person who bought it? The guy who runs it is really nice and he'll be fine with it."

Kagome agreed to do that. She walked there with Sango and they made plans for Kagome's stay. Her parents would be by on Sunday morning to pick her up.

Her Friday exam came and went. Saturday morning's ceremony was boring and Kagome told Melly so. The other girl just laughed and said to wait for the mage one.

The normal university had a small luncheon set out for parents, graduates, and friends. Kagome absconded a few cookies, but that was it. She went to the Special for lunch and came back to the mage university for Melly's second graduation.

This one was much different. For one thing, a lot more of the teachers were there. When the degree was handed over, the person's major was declared by an illusion symbol in midair. The food was much better and more plentiful. It was like a giant party rather than a boring procession.

Melly found Kagome sitting at one of the tables. "So," she said, sliding into a chair, "what do you think?

"That I'm going to be bored to death during my own ceremony, but I'm going to crash Inuyasha's," Kagome said promptly. Melly laughed and her family wandered over to meet Kagome.

"There are so many teachers here," Kagome whispered to her friend.

Melly nodded. "Sure are. And not all from the mage university. Kenshin helped Kasumi cook this feast. The normal university has it catered."

She pointed. "See that guy with the long braid? He's one of the professors at the normal university. And the guy with the tattoos of Japanese kanji on his arms? Him, too." She scanned the immediate area. "You've seen Ranma and Akane."

"So, do I get your address or not?" Kagome asked.

"Just waiting for you to ask," Melly said, handing her a piece of paper. Kagome ripped off the bottom half and wrote her address down. "That's my home number and address. I'll be there for the next couple months and I'll send you a letter from my new apartment when I move in."

She got up. "I've got to go home, but I'll write, okay?" Kagome rose as well and they hugged good-bye.

The same scene played between Sango and Kagome, exchanging addresses. Inuyasha didn't show up on Sunday morning, but Kagome introduced her mom and dad to Sango. They stayed for a late breakfast and then drove home.


	25. Chapter 25

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 25

Summer

Souta ran into her room, handed her two letters, and ran back out again. Kagome shook her head and sighed. Ah, to have that much energy.

She flipped the letters over and smiled at the addresses. Beginning to open them, she walked to her bed and sat down. She pulled out the first letter and began to read.

Dear Kagome,

Hi! It's almost time for you to come back. I can't wait to see you again! Not much has happened around here. Mom's fine and the Special is doing really well this year. There are a few college students still around and everyone's talking about college starting again soon.

I've seen Inuyasha a few times. Sesshoumaru and him come in for a meal every couple of weeks. We say hi and mention you. Has he really been writing to you? I couldn't believe that he asked me for your address after you left.

This is going to be a really short letter, but I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks. If you write back fast, your letter might make it here before you do. wink

Sango

Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes. Yes, it probably would be the last letter. She'd send one back to Sango, but she might arrive before it did. She opened the next one and began reading.

Kagome,

Why do people always say hi and how are you in letters? I mean, they already know that you wrote a letter, so why do they have to greet you? You're going to say that you're fine, anyway. Even if you were fine when you wrote the letter, by the time it gets to the other person, they could've died.

Anyway, classes are going to be starting soon. We've got that Dispel class together so I'll see you there. Your refrigerator's still in the garage and it's okay. I've seen Sango a few times this summer and she's okay. Do you still want to do the Saturday study thing? My schedule's free for then. I keep forgetting to ask Sango when I'm in there.

See you in class.

Inuyasha

Kagome pursed her lips. The studying sessions they had were good and it worked out fine on Saturday last year. Maybe Sango would want to continue it, too...

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, opening the door. "Souta missed something and put it in with my mail.

She accepted the letter. "Thanks, mom."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and left the room. Kagome opened it and read the brief information. "Rin, hm?"

The paper in front of her listed her roommate's name, age, address, phone number, and a few of her likes/dislikes. Kagome nodded along with each.

When you filled out your survey for your roommate, you marked down whether you were a smoker, liked studying in quiet or with the radio on, and a few other things. The college paired you up accordingly.

Seems like they've done a good job, Kagome admitted. She glanced at the telephone. "Should I call her now or not?"

While she was deliberating, the phone rang. Kagome jumped a foot. Grinning at her skittishness, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Um, is Kagome Higurashi there?"

"Yes, this is she."

There was a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. "This is Rin. Your new roommate?"

"Hello?"

"It's for me, Mom."

"Okay, dear." There was the sound of a phone hanging up.

"Sorry, that was my Mom."

"It's okay," Rin assured her. There was a pause and Rin said, "Have you been to college before?"

Kagome settled down cross-legged on her bed. "I'm a sophomore. This is my second year back."

"Would you mind if I asked you some questions?"

"Nope, go right ahead."

Kagome heard some rustling on the other end of the line. "I've got a few papers here that I can't figure out. What does the meal plan mean? I'm signed up for one, but I'm still confused."

She nodded. "Which one are you signed up for?"

"Plan 1. 21 meals with $75 in points. That does mean that I can have three meals a day, seven days a week, right?"

"Right," Kagome agreed. "The points are what you're confused about?" There was an affirmative noise on the other end. "Okay. When it's ten in the morning and you've already had breakfast, that's when you use your points to buy a soda. Or it's four in the afternoon, you're starving, but you don't want dinner that soon. You pick up a bag of chips instead."

"So the meals are meals and the points are for when I want a drink or a snack?"

"That's it." Kagome paused. "Do you know your schedule?"

More rustling. "I've got it here somewhere," Rin muttered. "I feel like I'm drowning in paper and I don't even have any homework."

"Ah-ha! Here it is!" she said triumphantly. "I have Math 100 from 8-9:15, English 101 from 9:30-10:45, and Psychology 225 from 11-12:15 on Tuesday and Thursday. I have U. S. History I from 8-8:50 and Psychology 222 from 10-10:50 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

"Is one of those pieces of paper a map of the campus?" Kagome asked.

"Yes."

"Would you mind if I tried to figure out something?"

"Okay..." Rin said cautiously.

Kagome moved to her computer and pulled up her online map of the campus. "Find dot 25. It's in the lower left hand corner."

"Okay."

"That is Scott Hall. We live on the other side of the dot. That long hall that's not marked by the dot? That's it. Where's Math 100?"

"Roberts."

"We're on the second floor which is where I was last year. You're going to go down two flights of stairs, out the front door, down one long sidewalk, straight across the road, walk right down the sidewalk for a quarter block. You're going to cross another street and walk down a really long sidewalk and a steep hill. Then you're going to go into Roberts. Next class?"

"Same building."

"Lucky. Same floor?"

"No. It's a 200? The other one was a 300."

"You'll walk down a floor. Next class?"

"Thomas 67."

Kagome thought for a minute. "That's the auditorium. You're going to walk down two floors to get out of Roberts. You can either walk up the hill and stay on the sidewalk or you can cut through the Student Center, go across the street, walk half a block, and into the Thomas building. It's a long hike."

They managed to find out that her MWF classes were all in Roberts. "It's not really that far, is it?" Rin said worriedly.

"No," Kagome assured her. "You've got fifteen minutes in between all of your Tuesday/Thursday classes. You'll have to get up early to get breakfast, though. When's your last class on Monday?"

"Ten fifty."

"Then you'll have the choice of getting an early lunch or a late lunch. What about Tuesday?"

"Twelve fifteen."

"Okay. That sounds good."

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Um... What's the food like?"

Kagome did some quick typing. "On the first day of classes you'll have your choice of the Omelet bar, poached eggs, fried doughboys, home fries, bacon, banana bread, cereal, bagels, bread, or fresh fruit for breakfast. Lunch will be Italian vegetable soup, California bean soup, Italian grinder, vegetable quesadilla, broccoli noodle bake, spinach, Caesar wrap, salad, tomato bisque, brownies, cake, and cookies. Dinner looks like more Italian vegetable soup, California bean soup, roast turkey breast, mushroom tortellini, Nantucket haddock, mashed potatoes and stuffing, squash, mixed vegetables, veggie pizza, and chocolate cake."

Kagome paused. "And the snack bar always does cheeseburgers, pizza, salad, chicken nuggets, french fries, etc."

"That's...a lot better than I expected."

Kagome laughed. "I know! I usually get a danish or a doughnut from the case for breakfast and get lunch and dinner at the cafeteria."

"I only got the quick tour. What are the dorms like?"

"Small," Kagome warned. "Bring only the absolute essentials. One of the things I worried about was the shower. It isn't an open shower. There are stalls enough for everyone as long as we don't all try to take a shower at once. Scott North is a co-ed dorm, so be prepared to see guys in towels."

There was a gulp. "Um..."

Kagome grinned. "Bring flipflops. You don't want to catch whatever anyone else has on their feet. Never walk barefoot except in your own room."

"The room has two beds, one for each of us. There are two windows. There's one phone outlet in the room. Melly brought the phone last year. She was my roommate, but she graduated." Kagome glanced at her mobile phone. "I'll find one that isn't cordless."

"I could bring mine."

Kagome nodded. "Okay. Computer hookup is free and there are two in each room. There's cable tv and I'm going to be bringing my television. I've got a dvd player and a VHS, too."

She sighed. "What else? There's one bed, bureau, closet, desk, and a desk chair. Security is good. Only access is with a keycard. There's laundry downstairs, a lounge, and a kitchenette. I've got a refrigerator to put in the room so we can have cold sodas when the cafeteria's closed. Mom's going to buy me a microwave, too."

"Do you need any help with what to bring?" Kagome asked as an afterthought. "I know I'm just talking a mile a minute."

"I have the list here. You're being really great about this."

"It's okay. I went through the same thing with Melly. Are we looking at the same page? Right Stuff to Bring?" Rin agreed. "Okay. Necessities. Everything. Financial aid stuff, dictionary, thesaurus... Binders and notepads. Find out from your professor if you're going to need them. Some want a three ring binder with looseleaf. Others don't care what you write on. Assignment planner. They sell those at the bookstore. Buy one. Five classes, all of them assign homework on the same day, it's easy to forget one."

"Ah, clothes. The closet is about two feet long. The bureau is a little tiny. You'll be going home sometime late November. Bring summer clothes for a month and fall clothes for two months. Socks, underwear, stuff like that. Bring something that you can wrap around you like a bathrobe. People pop into the room all the time or pass by the open door. In the winter, we can't keep the window open. If we want any air at all, the door has to be open."

"The closet doesn't come with coat hangers, so you need those. If you're going to write home, bring stationary and envelopes or you can buy it at the store. Walmart is right down the road and someone's usually going that way. Or phone cards to call home with."

"The health center's great, but all they're going to tell you is that you have a cold. I've got a whole bag full of Tylenol, Nyquil, Dayquil, aspirin, and stuff. Go get a small plastic box with a handle. Those are great to take into the shower with you. You can't leave your shampoo and stuff around because you don't know who might use it."

"You'll need a laundry bag or a basket for your laundry. Detergent, fabric softener, rolls of quarters for the machines..."

"Speaking of laundry, you'll need twin sheets, comforter, some towels, blanket, a pillow, and a pillowcase... Trashcan, lamp for the desk... Oh, and some of those plastic boxes that can go under the bed. You'd be amazed at the stuff you'll need and you don't have anywhere to put it." Kagome laughed for a minute. "Stressed yet?"

"Yeah. But you've been really helpful."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Follow the checklist. Anything that you're unsure of, wait on it. How are you getting there?"

"My parents are going to drop me off with my stuff."

"Okay. I'm going to be there at ten o'clock. My parents are going to hang around until two. We'll unpack your stuff first and see if there's anything we've forgotten. Sound good?"

"Great. Thank you!"

"So I'll see you in two weeks?"

"Yes. Thank you, Kagome. See you later."

"See you later." The two girls hung up the phone. Kagome continued to play on her computer while Rin ran downstairs with her list.


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry I missed a couple days of uploads, dear readers, but here is a set of four as apology and for the New Year.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 26

Moving In

The SUV slowly pulled into a free parking space. Kagome's dad looked up the street and then back at his daughter in the back seat. "I'm glad that we only have to do this twice a year," he said.

"Oh, Dad. It isn't that bad," Kagome said, opening the door.

Her parents exchanged looks and climbed out of the car. "I'll get the U-Haul unlocked," her dad claimed.

"I'll go find my room," Kagome promised and ran off. She swerved around people carrying stuff in and found her room. She unlocked the door and looked around. "I guess she isn't here yet." She shrugged and went back down to the car.

The U-Haul was packed with her miscellaneous small stuff and clothes. The electronic equipment rode along in the car with them. There were a few containers of other stuff in the car, but not many. Kagome's dad started to carry her computer while the two ladies began toting the boxes in.

Half an hour later, everything was inside the room and her parents had gone to return the U-Haul. Her dad had set her computer down on the desk and connected the wires while he was at it, so she didn't have that to do. Her mom had taken the time to fix her television, dvd player, and vhs player.

The storage bins that fit under her bed already had her books, music, and CD player in them. Boxes were scattered over her half of the room, so Kagome opened one at random. Clothes. Another box was opened to find more clothes.

"Well," she said to herself, "I guess I'd better find the box that has the hangers."

Continuing the search, she found the box that had her blankets, the box with her bedsheets and towels, and found that elusive box with the hangers. It also had her medicine bag, laundry bag and laundry stuff, and bathrobe in the bottom.

She shrugged and thought for a minute. If I put the sheets and stuff on the bed, then I can dump my clothes out there. That'll get rid of most of the boxes and when Rin gets here, she can have extra space to put stuff.

The sheets went on the bed, the pillow got plopped at the top, and the thin blanket was smoothed down. Kagome stuffed the two comforters in the bottom of the bureau. The next shelf up got her medicine, towels, and folded up laundry bag. She put her bathrobe on the hook inside the closet door.

She tipped three boxes of clothes onto the bed, stacked them, and began looking at the other boxes. One of them was her brand new microwave. Her dad had said they'd find her a small stand for it before they left. They'd also mentioned bookshelves, but Kagome was going to reserve judgment on that one for until Rin had her say.

There was only one box left. She opened it and pulled out a box full of her jewelry, curtains, flashlight, camera, bath stuff, and miscellaneous school supplies. Her lamp was already on the computer desk.

A tentative knock made Kagome look up. A small girl with short black hair stood in the doorway. She glanced at the door number and asked, "Kagome?"

She nodded. "Are you Rin?"

The other girl smiled. "Yes."

Kagome stood up from the floor and walked over. "Hi. Welcome to the dorm room, such as it is." Rin giggled. "Where's your stuff?"

"My parents are bringing it in," she said shyly.

"Rin, is that your room?" a man's voice asked.

"Yes, Dad," she called back. She moved into the room to the unoccupied side.

Kagome winced. "I didn't ask which side you wanted. They're exactly the same, but I just took the one I had last year. We can switch if you want."

"No, no, it's fine!" Rin told her. She sat down on the bed. "They're identical."

Her dad came into the room and plunked down a huge box. "Remind me not to allow your mother to talk me into this size box ever again," he said cheerfully. "Even if it does hold most of your clothes."

"Dear, you're overexaggerating," the woman said, as she walked into the room with a much smaller box. She sat it down next to the larger one and turned to Kagome. "I'm Rin's mom, Margaret."

Kagome nodded to her. "I'm Kagome. Did you want a hand? My stuff's already up here."

"Yes, thank you. There are so many cars that we really should get everything unloaded quickly." The four of them walked down to Rin's stuff and hauled it upstairs.

By the time everything was in the room, Kagome's parents had come back and they were deep in conversation. Kagome hid a smile and began putting up her clothes in the closet. Rin watched for a few minutes and then began handing her the hangers.

Once Kagome's clothes were up, they attacked a carton of Rin's. Kagome's parents had obviously calmed Rin's down. Kagome's dad tackled Rin's computer while the other three talked.

After the computer was put together, Rin's parents had to leave. "You'll be okay," her mother told her. "You've got your credit card to buy your books with?"

"In my purse," Rin told her. "I'll be fine."

"That's right," Kagome chimed in. "I'll help her unpack and my parents will be here for another couple hours if we need anything."

The pair hugged and kissed their daughter goodbye and left with a few tears. Rin watched them leave and looked sad for a minute.

Kagome looked at the boxes. "What's next?" Rin began tearing open a box so Kagome did the same.

They made Rin's bed, put away her clothes, and her miscellaneous stuff. Kagome's mom invited her along to dinner which she accepted. They did find a small table that Kagome thought might even sit over the refrigerator. Bookshelves were discussed and purchased.

Back at the dorm room, they put up the furniture and said their goodbyes. It was Kagome's turn to watch them go and then turn to Rin. "Well, the stuff's all put up," she said. "Did you want the tour? We could go find where your classes will be tomorrow."

Rin nodded. "Okay. What about books?"

"You won't need those your first day. We can wait in line for hours today or we can find a time tomorrow when there aren't too many people. Tomorrow is for teachers to hand you the syllabus of what you'll be doing for the rest of the semester and tell you what to buy."

So the tour began of the campus. Kagome made sure that Rin knew where her classes were and the main points like the computer center and cafeteria. The tour ended at the cafeteria so that wasn't too hard. She introduced Rin to Kenshin and walked her through getting her meal and using her meal plan.

At about six thirty, they went back to the room. Rin walked to her computer and turned it on. Kagome hesitated. "I'm going to go see if I can find one of my friends," she said slowly. "Okay?"

"Sure," Rin said, a little puzzled. "I'm fine."

Kagome realized how silly she was being in that instant. Rin was eighteen, a freshman in college, and Kagome wasn't a babysitter. She laughed. "Okay. I'll be down at the Special."

Kagome walked into the restaurant and caught Kirara's eye. She glanced upward and Kagome understood. She walked up the stairs and looked around. There were a lot of students already up here, but she focused on the one sitting in a side booth.

She slid in on the other side and grinned. "I'm back."

Sango looked up from her book and said, "Kagome!"

"That is my name. Oh, woe is me for I had to unpack all by my lonesome." Kagome looked properly distressed.

Sango chuckled. "I would've come over, but I thought there were too many people around. And I don't know your room number."

Kagome shrugged. "Just as well. My roommate was unpacking her stuff, too." While Kagome filled Sango in on Rin and what she was like, another person made an appearance.

"Move over," Inuyasha said gruffly. "I haven't seen you all summer." Kagome made room for him on her side of the booth. "When do you want that refrigerator?"

"Tomorrow? After Dispel class?" Kagome suggested.

He nodded. "Okay."

"Your roommate sounds nice, Kagome," Sango told her. "Bring her by sometime."

"Roommate?" Inuyasha asked. "Does she know about you?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything, so maybe she doesn't."

Inuyasha snorted. "So what are you going to do when you get flowers and junk?"

"I don't know," Kagome said worried.


	27. Chapter 27

**Friendly reminder: These were written by Moonsilver, and I take no credit. Neither have I done any editing, I have left them exactly as I found them.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 27

First Day

Rin opened her eyes as Kagome's alarm clock went off. Since they both had an eight o'clock class, they just set one. Rhythm Emotion from the Gundam Wing soundtrack was something pleasant to wake up to, she decided.

She swung out of bed and went to the closet while it played on. Kagome hadn't gotten out of bed yet. Rin dressed quickly and went to her computer to check her email.

Kagome finally opened her eyes and got up. "Business class," she muttered. "Explain to me why I need a business class for a library science major."

"Um, you might be running a library someday?" Rin ventured.

She shook her head. "I've got a library management course down the road that would cover that." Hauling clothes out of her bureau and her closet, Kagome dressed on the way. She sat down on the bed to brush out her hair and said, "Ready for your first day?"

Rin nodded. "I think so."

"Great," Kagome said. "Probably all you'll need is a folder, a notebook to write on, and something to write with. They're big on handing out a syllabus, discussing it, and letting you go. Some of the teachers give you homework assignments, like reading the first chapter by next class, though."

She pulled her shirt over her head. "Want to go get breakfast in a few minutes?" Rin nodded. Kagome checked her email and shut down her computer. She and Rin walked out of the room with their backpacks and headed toward the cafeteria.

Rin walked into her first class and sat down. She pulled out her schedule and examined it. Math, then English, then one of her two psychology classes, Child and Adolescent Development. Then she was through until her eight o'clock class tomorrow.

The class slowly filled around her, but Rin was lost to the conversations. She had a pencil, a piece of paper, and was slowly making a vine border.

Kagome walked confidently through the door to her first class. She sat down in the second row and waited for the teacher to walk in. She made small talk with the people around her about moving into the dorms and how the cafeteria food was just as good as ever.

A short blond man walked into the room and smiled at them. "Welcome to Principles of Management," he said. "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. It's a mouthful, so feel free to call me Quatre."

He pulled a large stack of papers out from his briefcase and began handing them out. "This is the syllabus for the semester," he began. "This class is very simple. I lecture to you twice a week. You take notes. There will be three tests. One final exam at the end of the year, one midterm, and one in a month. They are open note tests."

He smiled again. "It's very easy to pass this class. Take good notes, borrow someone else's if you're absent, and take the three tests. They're all essay questions, but everything I say will be in your notes."

"One other thing. The college makes me assign you a textbook. The softcover is one hundred dollars and the hardcover is one hundred and twenty-five dollars. If you're interested in reading more about what I'm talking about, feel free to buy the textbook. The only things on the test will be what I lecture on. If I don't say it, it isn't on the test."

He looked around and held up the syllabus. "Let's discuss this, shall we?"

Her business class let out early and she went to Dispel early. She chose her seat and opened up the book she was reading.

A few minutes later, a shadow crossed in front of her and she looked up. Inuyasha was arranging his backpack on the seat to her right. "Hi," she said.

He looked up. "Hello. Sesshoumaru said to tell you that he had chicken salad sandwiches in the fridge when you got there."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm not at college for an entire day yet and he's already trying to feed me."

"Just how he is," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "Still want your refrigerator after this class?" Kagome nodded. "We'll go pick it up then."

They talked while their classmates arrived. Miroku swept into the class five minutes before his scheduled time and smiled at his students. He noted that Kagome was in class and talking to another student. She would definitely be interested in this class.

Kagome let her bookbag slip from her shoulder when she got to Inuyasha's house. "I am so hungry," she said loudly.

His fell as well as he walked quickly after her. "Save two for me," he told her.

"I don't suppose he made any cookies?" Kagome said wistfully.

"Chocolate chip ones two days ago," he told her. "I'll get those if you get the sandwiches."

"Deal," Kagome said, reaching the fridge. She moved around his house like she hadn't been gone for a couple months, pulling down plates and grabbing sodas from the bin.

They walked back into the living room to sit down and enjoy their meal. "So what did you think about Miroku's class?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shrugged. "That I'd better be paying attention every minute he's talking. With Melly gone and some of the older students knowing more ways to enchant things, I'll have to learn."

Inuyasha grimaced. "Yeah."

"But I don't drink anything I haven't gotten myself or Sango gets it at the Special. She knows better than to let someone handle my food. Anything I get in my room, I have my gloves on. It's just the sneaky ones I've got to worry about."

They finished the sandwiches and went out to the garage. Inuyasha lifted the small refrigerator into the trunk of his car and they drove to Kagome's dorm. He wrestled it up the stairs and into position. "I thought it would fit under that table," Kagome said happily.

While the two were having fun eating lunch, Rin was in another class. She was captivated by the man teaching. Not that she thought he was cute, but the energy he had, the way he explained things... This was why she was a psychology major. To learn all about the human mind.

Rin ran up the dorm stairs and down the hall. She paused in the doorway when she saw Kagome had company.

"Oh, Rin," Kagome said. "This is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Rin."

"Hello," he said politely.

"Hi," she replied. "The refrigerator's here."

Kagome grinned. "Yup. Now we have to trudge two blocks to get sodas and stuff from the little store or I try to persuade my great friend Inuyasha to drive us downtown to the supermarket so that we don't break our backs."  
>"All right," he grumbled. "You don't have to lay it on so thick."<p>

After they had gotten all of their groceries upstairs, Inuyasha left to go back to his house. Rin and Kagome went to the bookstore to pick up their books. "So how was your day?" Kagome asked.

Rin shrugged. "Okay. I absolutely love the way my psychology teacher teaches the class."

Kagome looked interested. "What's his name? I might have taken something he taught."

"Duo Maxwell," Rin said.

Kagome shook her head. "Nope."

Kagome got back to find two flower arrangements and a few notes on her bed. She groaned, put on her gloves, and stuffed them in a bag.

"Um..." Rin stared at the bag. "What was that about?"

"Oh. Some guys on campus think that I'm special or something, so they want to date me." Kagome shrugged. "They're really persistent." Rin looked worried. "They're only after me. Just tell anyone who asks you that I don't date. At all. Ever."

Rin looked a little weirded out, but she nodded. Kagome took the bag and put it down by the bureau. How was she supposed to keep those letters out of here? She didn't know how they arrived, just that they did.

Oh, well. I'll worry about it when Rin says something. Maybe I could just explain everything...


	28. Chapter 28

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 28

Saturday Studying

Three college students were busy studying in the living room. Inuyasha was lounging sideways in a chair, nodding along with his psychology book. Kagome was concentrating on her element homework.

Sango finally looked up with a sign. "I know the class is called Real Fairy Tales, but you're not seriously trying to paint the enchantress in Beauty and the Beast as the good guy."

Inuyasha turned a page and glanced over at her. "Why not?"

"Because... She cursed him!"

Kagome grinned at her. "If it hadn't been for her, they never would have met. She was born after he would have died."

Sango shook her head and went back to her book. "I still say it's crazy."

Kagome sat up and held out her hand. She focused on the paper in front of her and breathed out. The paper fluttered and her eyes lit. "I did it!" she said excited. "Did you see that?"

"What?" Sango asked, looking sideways. Kagome made the paper move again and Sango's eyes widened. "Was that you?" Kagome nodded. "I have got to take an element class."

"Hope you're not a fire," Inuyasha muttered. "Recca's insane."

The two girls looked at him and he continued. "First thing he does is introduce us to his eight dragons. He took this metal thing off his arm and these dragons just burst out of nowhere."

Kagome cleared her throat. "Fuko showed us Fujin. It's this bracelet on her arm that controls air."

Sango snickered. "You two have got some great teachers." She held up her book. "But I'm taking this class from Aoshi's wife, Misao. I finally know why he's so quiet all the time. He never gets a word in edgewise with how fast she talks."

They finished their current homework and Inuyasha and Kagome worked on their Dispel reading. They had to get the reading done, the words and gestures paired, and then use it in class. Kagome was determined to remember everything and she'd already planned to keep the book when the class ended.

Kagome walked back to her dorm and up the stairs to her room. Rin glanced up as she entered and waved a hand in greeting. Kagome nodded to her and went to her computer. Thank goodness for those Saturday sessions. Otherwise she'd have to go find one of the spare rooms at the mage university to practice in. With Rin here, she couldn't do anything until Rin found out about the mage university.

Should she tell her? It would clear up a lot of the confusion. Kagome could do a bit of magic around the room and wouldn't have to worry about Rin walking in. Though the other girl was now used to the fan mail that Kagome received...

"Hey, Rin?" Kagome said casually. "What do you think about magic?"

No answer.

Kagome turned around and looked at Rin. She sighed. Headphones. She didn't even hear me.

She abandoned the computer desk and went to lie down on her bed. It was strange being back here. Home had felt so familiar, but being here did, too. She liked seeing Kenshin in the cafeteria, knowing that Sango would be the one to bring her dinner at the Special, and the quickest ways to get to where she was going around campus.

Sango and Inuyasha were good friends. At home, she and most of her friends had reconnected, but some hadn't. They had grown apart. One of her friends had come back dressed in black and talking about how the apocalypse was so near. Another had been pierced so many times Kagome didn't know where to look first.

Both wouldn't have mattered if there was anything left of their friendship. They didn't want to talk to her, just said hi, and walked away. Kagome mourned the friends she had lost, but liked her new friends. There were plenty of people on her floor or in class that she could say hi to and two she could talk to about anything else.

She glanced at Rin. If the other girl learned about the mage university, she would be a great friend, too. They had a lot in common, but keeping a huge secret like that was asking for disaster.

Rin finished saving her document and leaned back in her chair. A few odd things had happened recently that she didn't have the answers to. Or rather, she wasn't happy with the answers she did have.

Why had Kagome acted startled when her dragon figurine began to glow? She had written it off as a bad circuit inside, but Rin still wondered.

And all those letters and flowers that Kagome got and tried to laugh it away. The times Rin had walked into the room to find Kagome immediately busy with something.

There was a mystery around this room.

Knock, knock!

"Hey," someone said. "Is Kagome around?"

Rin shook her head. "No. She's studying somewhere."  
>The person grimaced. "I brought her the notes she said she so desperately needed. Mind if I leave them here?" Rin gestured to the desk and the notes were laid out on it.<p>

The other girl left and Rin stared at them. If Kagome really needed them...

She hesitantly got up and pulled out Kagome's address book. She was at Inuyasha's studying. Maybe the address would be in here and she could deliver them?

Rin found the address and printed out a map from the internet. The notes were slipped into a folder and Rin went out to track down a specific house.

Ten minutes later, she was hunting the right house number. Rin finally found it on a mailbox and walked up the little path to the front door. A flash of red caught her eye and she peeked through the window.

Her eyes widened. It's...a trick?

Kagome clapped her hands together and smiled. Another girl looked envious. What was going on? Inuyasha had fire in his hands?

The girl's eyes caught Rin's movement as she backed away a little. She said something and Kagome looked toward the door. Her eyes widened and she moved quickly to open it. "Hi, Rin," she said happily. "What are you up to?"

Rin wordlessly held out the folder. Kagome flipped it open and cooed. "Anne's notes! You brought them all the way out here?" She gestured into the house. "Why don't you come in?"

Rin didn't move. "Um, Kagome?" she said weakly. "What did I see?"

"We'll discuss that when you're not standing on the porch," Kagome said gently. "Come in and don't be afraid."

Her eyes widened. "Why? Is there something..."

Kagome sighed. "Rin, no one's going to hurt you. You just saw something that I want to explain. All I want you to do is come in, sit down, and let me explain it to you. We're not going to chant at you, dose you with drugs, or even come too close if you don't want us to. I swear, all we're going to do is talk."

Rin nodded and stepped cautiously inside the house. Kagome gestured to a couch and she sat. Kagome sat down on the other end. "Okay. Fact One. There is magic in the world and two people in this room can do it."

Rin blinked. "Okay. What is magic?"

Kagome grinned at her. "Good question. What you saw was Inuyasha practicing his element homework. I'm working on my dispel homework at the moment. There are two kinds of magic, good and bad. There's also a lot of grey, but those are the two types. After all, a bad mage can use fire to kill and a good mage can use fire to warm people by lighting a fire. A mage is a person who practices magic. With me so far?"

Rin nodded and Kagome went on. "There are two colleges in the area. You, Sango, and I go to the normal college." She waved a hand at the other girl in the room. "This is Sango, Rin. Sango, this is Rin."

"Hi," the girl said. She smiled reassuringly. "I went through this last year. It's all real, you're not crazy, and life does continue after this."

Rin smiled back. "That's a relief."

She started when the door opened again. "Hello, everyone," a tall man said, entering the room. "And who is this?"

"Sesshoumaru, this is my roommate, Rin. Rin, this is Inuyasha's older brother, Sess." Kagome swallowed. "Um, Rin came over with some notes and saw Inuyasha holding flame in his hand."

"Ah," he said wisely. "That would cause a minor upset. Let me know if you need anything. It was nice meeting you, Rin." She said the same. He walked into the kitchen.

"The other college is that boarding school. It's the mage university with an illusion set over it. There are strictly mage students and strictly normal university students." Kagome gestured to herself. "I'm getting my degree from the normal university with a lot of electives from the mage university. Inuyasha's strictly a mage student and Sango-"

"Sango is a normal university student who has looked over the list of courses at the mage university. Currently, she's taking Real Fairy Tales and getting weirded out over all the stuff they left out." Sango finished speaking.

Kagome turned back to Rin. "What do you think?"

"Am I hallucinating?" she asked plaintively. "There's magic, there are two universities in town, there's good and bad mages..." She raised an eyebrow. "Proof?"

Sess came out of the kitchen. "I don't think that will be a problem. Do you happen to have any injuries?"

Rin looked startled and he hastened to tell her that he didn't mean her any harm. She held up a finger. "I got a papercut this morning."

"That will do fine," he assured her. Moving closer, he said, "I'm not going to touch you, but I'll have to be a little closer." His hand hovered over her finger and Rin watched the two sides join.

"There," he said satisfied. "Good as new. You've just had your first healing."

Rin nodded. "Okay. That's pretty good proof." She looked over at Kagome. "What now?"

"Have you had lunch?" Sesshoumaru asked. Rin shook her head. "Then we'll leave the students to their studying and I'll feed you in the kitchen."

She looked uncertainly at Kagome who smiled. "Go ahead. I'll probably be here another hour if you want to walk back together."

Rin got up from the couch and followed Sesshoumaru into the kitchen. He gestured to the refrigerator. "See if there's anything you like in there. With Inuyasha here, I'm eaten out of house and home."

"You were the one who invited me to live here!" Inuyasha hollered from the living room.

Sess sighed. "Of course." He winked at Rin. "It's a good thing I like cooking." He began hauling tubs out from under the cabinet. "I made some tuna fish sandwiches for everyone, but if those are gone, there are some pork chops left from last night's dinner. Or there's a good selection of frozen dinners in the freezer. There's stuff for spaghetti, too."

Rin pulled a platter of sandwiches out and helped herself to one. Sesshoumaru found her a plate and she sat down to the table. "Juice, soda, water, milk?" he asked.

She swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "Soda?" she replied.

"Cola, orange... There might be a root beer in the back."

"Cola's fine."

She watched him pull things out and begin cooking. "Chocolate chip cookies," he told her. "Do you have more questions?"

She thought for a moment. "Why didn't Kagome tell me before?"

"Probably because of how you'd react. First year at college and you find out that your roommate can do magic? Those that don't take it well have that explanation you received replaced with a memory of studying." He smiled at her. "You're taking it well."

He turned back around. "As for any questions about me, I'm the mage university's healer. Well... One of them. Most of the normal university's staff know of the other university. If you mention magic around someone who doesn't know, they hear a perfectly normal conversation."

He finished mixing everything together and began dropping the cookies onto a baking sheet. "There are both good and bad mages on campus. You do not have to worry about anything. Practice only on campus."

Sess caught her eye. "You don't find biology majors taking the squirrels apart. You don't find good mages practicing magic and neither do the bad mages. It's actually not politically correct to call them bad mages. Dark mage is usually the term."

"They do their homework, keep their magic to themselves, and that is it. Did you want another sandwich?" Sess asked.

"I would," Sango said. She took her empty plate to the fridge and dumped a sandwich on it. "It's strange, but kind of cool," she said to Rin. "People who aren't mages, like us, can actually learn a little bit of magic."

She sniffed the air. "Are those chocolate chip?"

"Yes. Come back in another fifteen minutes."  
>"You got it," Sango said, heading back to the living room.<p>

Rin and Kagome walked back to the dorm. Sango had left before them with a little bundle of cookies.

When they reached their room, Kagome shut the door. "Do you want the other half?" she said.

Rin held her head. "Let me get the aspirin," she joked. "Nah, go ahead."

Kagome filled her in on the whole Source of Magic thing and told Rin that she was it. Rin blinked. "Your life is really strange," she pronounced. "So all those flowers and stuff?"

"Don't sniff the flowers. They might have a love potion dropped in them. Those things don't work on me, but they might on you. Don't read the notes; they might have a persuasion spell on them. Don't touch them. Just let me handle it." Kagome grimaced. "I just stuff them into a bag, anyway."

"Why?" Rin asked.

Kagome sighed. "Because they don't want Kagome. They want the Source of Magic. To most, I'm just a broodmare, a prize. When one of them actually tries to get to know me, not the Source..."

She covered her mouth and looked around. "The last time I said something like that, I had a flock of guys follow me all over campus." Rin laughed. "It's not funny. I had to have Sango, Melly, and Inuyasha escort me everywhere that week!"


	29. Chapter 29

**I hope everyone is enjoying Moonsilver's "Source of Magic" Inuyasha AU story. But, please, don't be shy; check out my stories as well! -shameless plugging-**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 29

The Trouble With Doors

Inuyasha's ears perked up as the door opened and shut. He put down his pencil and walked downstairs. Sesshoumaru was in the kitchen, opening a soda. The sides of the can were denting, so Inuyasha asked, "Rough day?"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Last patient of the day. I quote, 'he walked into a door'." He took another drink from the can. "Black eye, split lip, bruised."

He grimaced. "Someone help him walk into that door?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I think so. But I can't do anything unless he tells me himself." He cast a speculating eye over his little brother. "He's a freshman, short, brown hair. And he's sixteen years old."

"Ain't that a little early?" Inuyasha asked.

"He's very intelligent. High school work wasn't a challenge for him any longer. He also goes to the mage college."

"Isn't this betraying the whole doctor/patient confidentiality thing?"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You don't know his name, just a few things you could pick up from looking at him. Besides, if you happen to see him, you might walk him to class."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Sure. If I see the little runt."

On his way back from Element I class, Inuyasha decided to take a shortcut. Ducking down this wide alley would lead him out to the other side of the street. Sure, he could just walk across the courtyard, but-

He stopped at the entrance. Two older boys were in the process of beating someone. One was holding him and the other had just punched him in the stomach. Not good, Inuyasha thought. "Hey!" he said loudly, walking down the alley.

"Mind your own business," the one holding the boy said.

"Yes, do as my brother says," the thin one said haughtily.

The boy looked at him frightened. What was Inuyasha supposed to do after that? "Nah," Inuyasha said airily. "I object to uneven fights. But if you really want to fight two on one, I'll take his place."

The thin one backed away and said, "Manten, it looks like someone doesn't know the Thunder Brothers."

"It does look that way, doesn't it, Hiten?" He dropped the younger boy and walked with his brother toward Inuyasha.

The boy closed his eyes. This wasn't going to be pretty. He should run and get some help...

"Hey, I save your tail and you just close your eyes?"

He opened his eyes and looked into the golden eyes of the person who had interrupted. Peeking back, the two brothers were lying on the ground. "What did you do to them?" he asked.

Inuyasha sniffed. "They're freshmen."

"They're battle mages," he insisted.

"So'm I."

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Come on," Inuyasha said, walking a few steps. "Let's take you to the health center."

"Okay," he said hesitantly.

Sesshoumaru looked up as the boy walked in. "Not again," he said with a sigh. "Want to tell me who did it?"

"Some guys calling themselves the Thunder Brothers," Inuyasha said, walking in behind him. "Hiten and Manten?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Thank you."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I took the shortcut alley and found him. He the one you were telling me about?"

"Yes." Sesshoumaru looked at the boy. "Shippo, this is Inuyasha. Knowing him, he didn't introduce himself, did he?"

Shippo shook his head. "No. But he did get them away." He turned to Inuyasha. "Thank you."

"Next time, yell for help. Or call public safety," Inuyasha advised. "Battle mages aren't supposed to beat up students."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "No one's supposed to beat up anyone, Inuyasha." He took Shippo into the back room and healed his injuries.

He came back out and looked at Inuyasha. "I don't suppose you got hurt?"

"Nope," Inuyasha said smugly. "So how have they been getting ahold of you?"

Shippo shrugged. "Right after meditation."

"When's it end?"

"2:50, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "I think it would be a good idea for Inuyasha to walk you back to your dorm on those days. Just for a few days."

Shippo opened his mouth to object, but Inuyasha was already agreeing. He relaxed, thinking that maybe now college wouldn't be so bad.

They walked out of the health center. "You don't have to," Shippo started.

"It's not a big deal. I did this for another girl who was getting hounded last year." Inuyasha told him. "Next time, tell someone about it."

Shippo nodded. "So... You're a sophomore?"

"Yeah. My major is battle magic. Sess's my older brother." He shot the boy a glance. "He also told me last night about you. Just what you looked like so if I saw you..."

"Thank you again. My major is illusion and deceptive tactics," Shippo said. He pointed. "It's this way."

Shippo led them into a building and upstairs. Inuyasha was introduced to Jinenji and told about Shippo's trouble. The bigger youkai told Shippo that he'd be walking him to class for a while, too.

Inuyasha left shortly after that. Sess had better have some cookies or fudge or something, he grumbled. This damsel in distress business is spreading to kids now...


	30. Chapter 30

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 30

Male Bonding

"So what you're telling me is that you've been here for most of a month and you haven't made any friends except your roommates and those two bozos who wanted to use you as a punching bag?" Inuyasha said, pointing at Shippo with a french fry.

Shippo sighed. "Yeah. There are a few people I say hi to in class. But I'm sixteen and they're older." He took a bite of his cheeseburger and swallowed. "Ah, I'm used to it."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Used to what?"

"Being 'the smart one'," Shippo said a bit bitter. "Not having many people to talk to."

Inuyasha dunked a fry into his ketchup. "Maybe you just haven't been around the right kind of people." He considered something for a moment and decided to go ahead with it. "What are you doing around one tomorrow?"

"Nothing."

"A bunch of us are studying together at my house tomorrow. I'll come by your dorm room about twelve thirty since you don't know where I live."

Shippo blinked. "Studying?"

"Yeah. Kagome and I do our Dispel homework together. She and Sango are friends since last year. And Kagome's new roommate, Rin's been by the last two Saturdays."

"Are they all sophomores?"

"Rin's a freshman like you." Inuyasha glanced at him. "Don't freak her out. She just found out that magic exists two weeks ago."

"What about the other two?" Shippo asked.

"Sango's enrolled at the other university, but she's taking a few from this one. She found out last year. Kagome..." Inuyasha shrugged. "I'd think it was kind of hard not to know about magic when you're the Source."

Shippo's eyes almost popped out of his head. "The Source?"

"Yeah. You're a little young and she isn't interested in dating, no matter what the guys around here say about her playing hard to get."

"No, no. It's just that I didn't know she went here."

Inuyasha shrugged. "You'll meet her tomorrow."

Inuyasha walked back into the house with Shippo right behind him. "There are roast beef sandwiches in the fridge," Sess called.

The two boys went into the kitchen and Inuyasha waved. "Hi, Kagome. This is Shippo."

Kagome swallowed what she was eating and said, "Hello, Shippo. Want a sandwich?"

He nodded and Inuyasha pointed to the refrigerator. "Help yourself. Plates are in the cupboard."

Sess winked at Shippo. "Peanut butter cookies are in the oven. Save room."

Shippo helped himself to two thick sandwiches and looked at the microwave. "Can I heat them up?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Of course." He went to the cabinet and reached below it. He pulled out a can of mushroom gravy and paused. "Are you going to want gravy on your sandwich?" When Shippo nodded, Inuyasha pulled out another can. "Mushroom gravy, okay?"

"Sure."

Shippo heated up his sandwich and then Inuyasha used it to cook the gravy. He gave the bowl to Shippo while he got himself a plate.

"Where's Rin?" Inuyasha asked.

"We got halfway here and she remembered that she needed a file from her computer," Kagome explained.

They heard the door and a few seconds later, two girls walked into the kitchen. "Is that a roast beef sandwich?" Sango asked.

Kagome grinned. "Sure is. And it's mine, all mine." Inuyasha reached over and pulled it out of her reach. "Meanie! Give me back my sandwich." Inuyasha slid it back and she sniffed.

"I can't believe you call that a sandwich. It's nothing but bread, roast beef, and... Do you even have anything else on it?"

Kagome peeled back the top layer to reveal barbecue sauce. "I stand corrected. It's masquerading as a sandwich. Put some gravy on it and gain some weight."

Sango chuckled and went to find her own sandwich. "My compliments to the cook, as usual."

"And accepted, as usual," Sesshoumaru told her. "Shippo, the one with the cook compliments is Sango. The one who hasn't spoken yet is Rin."

"Hello," Shippo said shyly.

"Hi," Sango said. "Friend of Inuyasha's?" Shippo nodded. Rin waved and Shippo nodded to her.

Once they had all had their fill of sandwiches and been sent off with two platters of cookies, they spread out in the living room. Kagome opened up her assignment book and groaned.

Read Chapter 4 for Intro. to Computer Systems

Dispel has two worksheets, a chapter, and the questions at the back.

Element I has a 'review your notes' and worksheet experiment.

"Have I mentioned how much I love my Business teacher?" Kagome said.

Shippo's eyes widened, but Sango just laughed. "Interesting class, but still boring. Only three exams, so no homework."

"Yes," Kagome said. "Look at all this work!"

Inuyasha glanced at her. "Three exercises for Battle Magic, read a chapter for psychology, another exercise for Element I, and our Dispel homework."

Sango held up a hand. "Ah, but I have the worst. Washu... Pardon me. Little Washu," she said, emphasizing the 'little', "is teaching General Chemistry. And I just found out that my teacher for Genetics? Ryoko?" She looked around expectantly. "Ryoko is her daughter. Add into that the Psychology chapter, having my mind blown by the real fairy tales, and the Martial Arts class. Where, I might add, Ryoko just did a display."

Kagome frowned. "What do you do in that class?"

"We're learning some basic stuff, but we have presentations once a month where someone comes in and shows us what they can do."

Rin shook her head. "You win. A few problems for math, read a chapter for English and find a topic for my paper, read over my history notes, and two psychology classes."

"How's the psychology going?" Sango asked.

Rin smiled. "Great! Duo's really funny. We're doing the chapter on birth right now. He got a sweatshirt from someone in class, took his one liter bottle of soda, and illustrated how the birth process happens."

She frowned. "Of course, the first time he did it, it came out the arm instead of the neck. He was a little upset about that..."

She brightened. "And then we watched four women give birth on the projector screen. It illustrated the squatting method."

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha interrupted. "You watched four births? With all the pushing and stuff?"

Rin nodded. "It was a little...icky. Fluid went everywhere and-"

Inuyasha grabbed his stomach. "I don't want to know."

"Okay. But he said he didn't get the yuckiest ones. He said that his professors always tried to get those to see how many people had to run out of the room."

"Hey, Shippo? Want to share your homework stuff?" Inuyasha asked desperately.

He shrugged. "Meditation, Math, English, and my major's classes."

"What is your major?" Kagome asked.

"Illusion and Deceptive Tactics."

She blinked. "Oh. My first roommate had that major. She put wings on my back for Halloween."

He winced. "That's advanced. I can't do that yet."

Kagome smiled at him. "You're only a freshman yet. Plus most of it comes naturally, right?" He blinked and she laughed. "I have eyes, you know," Kagome teased gently.

Sango and Rin looked confused. "Oops," Kagome said softly.

Inuyasha snickered. "Good going."

"Well, they already know about magic, the mage university, and me," Kagome argued. "I just forgot that they didn't know everything!"

Sango closed her eyes and breathed for a minute. "Know what?" she asked faintly.

Kagome glanced at Rin. "Would you rather not know? It's a lot in two weeks."

Rin shrugged. "I'm doing okay so far."

"No one can see inside the house," Sesshoumaru said from the kitchen entryway. "Just remember that you've been around us for a while and we're not going to hurt you."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's going to inspire calm." She looked at her two friends. "Ignore them. It really isn't that big a deal."

Inuyasha sighed. "Me first." He took a deep breath and let it out. His dog ears appeared along with his fangs and claws.

Sango swallowed hard and Rin blinked a few times. "Um..." Sango said.

"He's a hanyou," Kagome filled in. "There are youkai and hanyou living on Earth. You just don't see them very often because they blend in." She smiled at Inuyasha. "He's a bit stronger than a human, can hear and smell better, but that's about it."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and they turned to look at him. His face was striped and a tail draped over his shoulder. "I'm a youkai," he said unnecessarily. "It means that I'm much stronger than a human and I can hear and smell better."

Shippo swallowed and let his illusion slip away. His tail curled into his lap and his ears became pointed. "I'm a kitsune."

"We're inus," Sesshoumaru said. He snapped his illusion into place and went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Inuyasha let his go back into place and Shippo did, too.

"That's it," Kagome said. "Or at least, all I can think of."

Rin just shook her head a little bit. "Okay. Magic exists, there's a mage university in town, my roommate gets tons of flowers and stuff because she's the Source of Magic, and I'm studying in the same house with two youkai and a hanyou. No problem. Anyone understand fractions?"

Shippo raised a hand. "Me."

Rin waved at the book. "You've got math, too, right? I wonder if our teachers are doing the same stuff..." He shuffled over to her and began looking at the problems. Inuyasha and Kagome started their Dispel homework, while Sango started reading her Chemistry book.

Despite what she had said, Rin had a good think that night. Kagome was playing solitaire on her computer and Rin was trying to read her book. Her thoughts kept wandering back to what she had seen in the past two weeks.

Magic existed. There were at least two more races on the planet, maybe more.

She blinked. This had the potential to be so much fun! What other kinds of youkai were there? What could magic do? Were some of the mysteries explained such as the Yeti?

"Hey, Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know which professors don't know about the mage university?"

Kagome turned around. "No. But I bet Sesshoumaru does. Want me to call him?" Rin nodded and the number was dialed.

She handed the phone to Rin. Rin asked her question and received an answer.

On Monday, Rin went to see her advisor. He had talked her through which courses to take, some aspects of college life, and had been really helpful so far.

She knocked on the door and walked in when she heard a cheerful voice welcome her. "Rin!" he said enthusiastically. "What's the problem today?"

She shut the door and plopped down in the seat. "Dr. Sesshoumaru said you knew about the other university," she said softly.

He nodded. "Sure do."

"Well... I found out about Kagome being the Source of Magic and the other university two weeks ago. Saturday, I got a crash course in youkai."

He winced. "Shocked?"

Rin nodded. "Sort of. How many species are there on the Earth?"

Duo blinked. "Uh..."

"Are there any books I can read? How many youkai races are there? What can magic do and not do? How much am I allowed to learn?"

Duo tried to contain his laughter and failed. "Oh, Rin," he said, wiping tears out of his eyes. "You are definitely one of a kind. You do know that most of the kids freak out for a while? Not develop a sudden curiosity?"

Rin smiled sheepishly. "I'm strange. I know that. I've got a doctorate in strange and I'm working on my thesis for weird."

He shook his head and got up. Pulling one book down from the shelf, he handed it to her. "This is a book on magic. The library here doesn't have much. Mostly, the students get passes from their teachers to go use the mage university's library."

He held up a hand before she could speak. "I'll write you a pass after we go see the librarian over there. If you're showing this much curiosity now, wait until you see all the information that's available. She'll be able to steer you in the right direction."

"Thank you," Rin said gratefully.

"You're welcome."


	31. Chapter 31

**A third of the way through, dear readers! I'm so glad there are so many of you enjoying Moonsilver's story, and thank you for the reviews. I'm sure Moonsilver would be very happy to see how many people love their work.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 31

Everyday Stuff

It had definitely been a day of stuff and Kagome was eager to hit the pillow.

They had woken up and winced as she set her feet on the cold floor. "You know what we need?" she had said.

Rin, already typing at her computer, said, "What?"

"A rug. A nice braided rug or at least one of the fluffy ones."

Rin had turned and nixed the fluffy rug pointing out that they usually spilled something once a week such as a soda or paper clips. Those would be really hard to dig out.

They had gone walking downtown in search of a rug when Kagome had brought up the subject of fabric draping instead of curtains. Rin had leapt on the idea. They each bought a celtic patterned sheet from Muted Twilight and split the cost of the multi-colored blue rug.

They were smiled at as they walked down the street, one end of the rug on each girl's right shoulder. They each had a bag from Muted Twilight in their left hand and were chattering away. They had gone to Inuyasha's to study. Rin had also gone to a poetry reading that afternoon and told Kagome all about it. Kagome had studied and played around online.

Kagome yawned and set her head down on the pillow. Bedtime.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I love you."

Kagome scowled in her sleep and the annoying voice prodded her to wake up. She opened her eyes to find wide white eyes looking into hers.

"I love you."

She scrambled backward, still tangled in the blankets. She shrieked and Rin woke up. "Kagome?" she asked, blinking away the sleep haze.

Kagome calmed down in the next few seconds when she realized that the white eyes belonged on a balloon. A giant, three feet across, red, cartoon balloon.

"What's that?" Rin asked.

"I love you."

Her eyes widened. "And why is it saying that it loves you?"

"It's a balloon or at least I think it is."

"I love you."

"I also have no idea why it's saying that," Kagome growled. "But I wish it would shut up."

Rin tried not to laugh at Kagome's expression and the balloon bouncing up and down on small accordion legs. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to put on my gloves and find a pin. You might want to go out of the room when I do. It might have something in it."

Rin nodded and got dressed while Kagome found her gloves, a pin, and tied a handkerchief around her nose. She walked out of the room while Kagome attempted surgery.

"Drat."

Rin pushed slightly on the door. "Is it okay?"

"Yeah," Kagome said defeated. "I can't pop it."

"I love you."

"It's an illusion," Kagome said, sitting back on her bed. "I don't know how to get rid of those."

Rin looked at the balloon, observing it. "Isn't Shippo an illusion major?"

"Mm-hm. But he's a freshman. He probably wouldn't know how to get rid of this."

"But," Rin said triumphantly, "he would have a teacher's phone number who could."

Kagome smiled and then deflated. "I don't have his phone number."

"You've got Inuyasha's."

"That I do," Kagome said happily, getting out of bed to find her address book and Inuyasha's number.

"Good morning," Sesshoumaru said.

"Morning, Sess. Is Inuyasha home?" Kagome asked.

"He's upstairs." Cupping a hand over the receiver, he called, "Inuyasha! Kagome's on the phone!"

Inuyasha picked up the phone a few seconds later and said, "Hi."

"Hi. Do you have Shippo's number?"

"Yeah. Why?" Inuyasha took the mobile with him to his corkboard.

"I have a red heart-shaped balloon in my dorm that keeps saying-"

"I love you," was heard faintly.

"Did you hear it?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, smirking. "If it's a balloon, why didn't you pop it?"

"It's an illusion of a balloon. Shippo might have the number of a teacher who can fix the problem."

"Okay. Here's the number." Inuyasha read it off to her. "Good luck."

"Unhhh," Shippo said, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Shippo?"

He sat up. "Kagome?"  
>"Yeah, it's me. I've got a favor to ask. I have the illusion of a heart-shaped balloon bouncing around in my room telling me that it loves me. I can't get rid of it. Do you have the telephone number of one of your teachers I could call?"<p>

Shippo was quiet for a few seconds. "Shippo?"

"I'm still here. I just have to find the syllabus." There was some rustling on the other end. "His name is Zechs Merquise." He rattled off the phone number and Kagome wrote it down.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem." Minutes after Kagome hung up, Shippo was asleep again.

Kagome waited while the phone rang once, twice, three times. After the third ring, a female voice asked, "Hello?"

She recognized that voice. "Noin?"

"Yes, this is she."

"Hi, this is Kagome Higurashi."

"Good morning, Kagome. Have a problem?" There was a murmur on the other end of the phone and Noin said, "No, one of my students."

"Actually," Kagome said slowly, "I actually have a question for Zechs Merquise."

"Okay. One minute." There was a whispered conversation and the phone exchanged hands.  
>"Yes, Kagome?"<p>

"Hi. Um, I got this number from Shippo? He's in one of your classes."

"Yes, Illusion and Deceptive magic."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I didn't know if Noin knew or not."

"Yes, she knows all about the mage university. Did you need her?"

"No. I have a problem I hope you can help me with or tell me who to call next." Kagome sighed, feeling a little sheepish. "I have a three feet wide, cartoon heart bouncing up and down in my dorm room telling me that it loves me. I tried popping it, but I found out that it's an illusion."

"Ah," he said. "I see. Where are you?"

"Normal university, Scott North, room 204."

"If you give me twenty minutes, I can come take a look."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

"For safety's sake, don't go out of the room. It might try to follow you and that could cause a stir."

"Okay. Thank you again."

He chuckled. "It's no problem."

Kagome got dressed and told Rin what was going on. Zechs knocked on her door twenty-three minutes later and she let him and Noin in.

She waved a hand at the balloon. "There it is."

"I love you."

"That's very nice," Zechs said absent-mindedly to the thing.

Noin laughed. "Someone have a crush on you, Kagome?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I go through about a bag of trash every two to three days. I had an incubus sent to me last Valentine's Day. Before I left last year, I had a huge pink teddy bear, a couple of waterglobes, jewelry, all types of candy, notes, flowers, a box of live butterflies, a hand-carved music box, and a fancy purple quilt that I gave to Goodwill."

She glared at the balloon. "This isn't anything new, unfortunately."

Noin nodded sympathetically. "You've got the dragon keeping out malicious stuff, I see."

"Yes, my roommate from last year gave me that."

"I think I've got it," Zechs said. "Now, Noin, talk me out of it."

"Nope," she said cheerfully.

"Poor student," Zechs said, mock unhappily. He touched the illusion as if it were real and dismissed it.

He brushed off his hands and smiled. "That illusion is now in the student's room. I believe it's saying, "Leave her alone. I don't want to have to dismiss another illusion of yours, Sincerely Professor Zechs Merquise."

Kagome blushed while Noin laughed. "I believe that might solve that student's crush," Noin said. "Feel free to call when you have one of these problems, Kagome."

She thanked Zechs again and the two waved them off, saying that it really wasn't a problem.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Moonsilver, and I have done nothing to it. It is shared here in its original form, just as Moonsilver wrote it years ago. That means I have done nothing to change any spelling or grammatical errors that might appear in each chapter.**

**Seriously, how many read my tiny little A/N here at the top of most of the entries? XD**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 32

Dorm Cookout

Inuyasha stepped into his house and sniffed the air. "Sess?" he called.

"Nope!" Kagome's cheerful voice rang out.

He followed his nose into the kitchen where Rin and Kagome were both wearing aprons. "What's going on?" he asked, smiling at the sight.

"Well, the dorm cookout is at four," Kagome explained, stirring a mixture in a bowl. "The college is taking care of most of it, but a few of us wanted something else. The kitchenette on our floor is so crowded an ant couldn't squeeze in."

"So she called Sesshoumaru," Rin said, peeking in the oven. "He said we could use his kitchen as long as we cleaned up."

"And bought the groceries, which we had already," Kagome finished.

Inuyasha shrugged. "What are you making?"

"Two batches of cupcakes. We're going to leave one downstairs for everyone and take the other upstairs for us." Kagome explained. "The potato salad is almost cooled off enough to add the salad dressing to it and stick it in the refrigerator. Do you think Sess will mind if we borrow two cookie sheets to carry the cupcakes on? We can bring them back tomorrow..."

"Sure," Inuyasha agreed. "Anything else?"

"Well, by the time we get this batch," Kagome gestured to the bowl in her arms, "baked and frosted, there won't be time for anything else."

"We can bring a guest," Rin said, winking at Kagome. "And we'll need help to carry everything."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. "Want to come?" He nodded.

A little after four o'clock, the three of them arrived. "Huh," Rin said skeptically. "I didn't think there would be this many people."

Kagome glanced around at the upcoming lawn. "That's strange," she said slowly. "I don't recognize a lot of these people." She shrugged. "Maybe they're guests."

They found a place to set down their things and Kagome went upstairs with the cupcakes.

Natasha stopped her in the hall. "Kagome, how many people did you invite?"

She blinked. "Just Inuyasha. Why?"

"There are about twenty people downstairs who all brought stuff and said that they were your guest. Not that I've got a problem with extra guests because it's entirely likely half the campus is going to show up." She grimaced. "I thought you might want to know."

Kagome nodded. "Thanks for telling me. But I really didn't invite anyone except Inuyasha and he's both Rin and my guest."

Natasha smiled at her. "They were all guys, too." Kagome groaned. Natasha snickered. "Guy problems?"

"They never stop," Kagome muttered. "I'm going to go down. See you later."

Kagome headed down the stairs and out the door. She scanned the area for either Rin or Inuyasha, but before she found them, a deep voice said, "Hello, Kagome."

She stifled the groan. "Hi. I don't suppose you've seen Rin around?"

Kouga stepped in front of her. "The only one I'm concerned about is you."

"Oh? Why would you be concerned about me?" Kagome said, her eyes darting back and forth for a friendly face.

He smirked. "Because I'm your date for this thing. Did you want something to drink?"

"No, thank you," she said politely.

He reached out for her and she yanked her arm out of reach. "I'm looking for my friends," she reminded him.

"I can be a very good friend," he said charmingly.

"There you are!" Rin dashed to Kagome's side. "I've been looking for you."

Kagome sighed with relief. "Rin, I'd like to introduce you to..." She looked at him questioningly.

"Kouga," he said, smiling. He held out a hand to Rin and Kagome shook her head.

"Uh-uh," she said, stepping between them. "Rin, where's Inuyasha?"

"You're still hanging around that fleabag?" Kouga said rudely.

Kagome sniffed. "Yes."

Kouga's eyes narrowed. "You're dating him?"

"No, she ain't," Inuyasha said, walking up to Rin and Kagome. He handed them a soda each and glared at the wolf. "Kagome, you've got a lot of people out here looking for you."

She sighed. "I guessed as much."

"They can all go home because I'm your date," Kouga proclaimed.

Kagome blinked her eyes in amazement. "No," she said clearly, "You're not. I don't have a date for this cookout. I don't want a date. Get a clue." She stalked away from him and the two friends followed her.

Kouga glanced around, decided that no one had noticed, and shrugged. There'll be a better time, he thought.

They sat down at one of the small picnic tables and Kagome stared into the distance. Inuyasha pointed at her soda. "Aren't you going to drink that?"

"How can I?" she asked miserably. "With this many mage students here, someone could have done something to the food. I can't exactly work magic with all these people around to see if it's all right."

He shook his head. "I pulled those out of the cooler myself. No one was looking, so I checked them."

Kagome smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said fervently and opened the can.

"So is Kouga a good guy or a bad guy?" Rin asked.

"Bad guy," Inuyasha and Kagome said at the same time.

They talked for a few minutes and watched the crowd. People were just beginning to get hamburgers and hot dogs when Kenshin and Kaoru showed up with two huge platters of cookies. They laid them down on a table and Kagome caught Kenshin's eye. He whispered a few words to his wife and they walked over.

"Hello, Mr. Inuyasha, Miss Rin, and Miss Kagome," Kenshin said with a smile.

Kaoru inhaled deeply. "Having fun?" she asked.

Kagome slumped. "Not really."

"Problems," Rin said sympathetically.

Kaoru frowned. "Anything we can help with?"

"A bunch of mage students showed up and now she's afraid to eat anything," Inuyasha said bluntly.

Kagome glared at him. "What?" he said. "It's the truth!"

Kaoru nodded slowly. "Love potions, potions to make you more receptive to what they're saying... I can see your point." She shrugged. "Easily fixed. Come on, you three."

She walked over to the tables with food on them and gestured for them to fill their plates. Kagome hesitantly picked up two hot dogs, a handful of Kenshin's cookies, some potato salad, and added a dollop of macaroni salad, too.

When they got back to the table, Kaoru looked at Kenshin. He withdrew a necklace from beneath his shirt and looked into it for a moment. He whispered something and smiled. "It's safe," he said. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and began eating.

After that, the cookout was a success. As long as Kenshin and Kaoru were sitting with Kagome, no other students came near. Kagome thanked them both and they told her that it wasn't any trouble.

As the couple was walking away, Kaoru asked, "So what was magicked?"

"Everything except the cookies," Kenshin said with a sigh. "But the stone nulled it."

"Maybe we should find a way to get one to her for Christmas," Kaoru thought out loud.

Rin woke up at one thirty in the morning and stumbled off to the bathroom. When she came back, she heard Kagome sniffling. Rin went to the side of her bed and looked down. "Kagome?" she whispered. "Are you all right?"

"No," she said in a miserable tone.

"Are you sick?"

"No." Kagome rolled over. "Why can't they leave me alone? It was just a cookout! Kouga had to make a fuss about me being his, I couldn't eat anything until Kenshin and Kaoru got there..."

She sniffled again and Rin saw a tear trickle down her cheek. "I don't know," she said helpless. Rin sat down on the edge of the bed and opened her arms. Kagome hesitantly hugged her friend and felt sad.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Moonsilver, I make no claim to it. I am only sharing it here in FFnet. Seriously **kichonakagome23466****** I'm only sharing it, I have no control over what Moonsilver wrote years ago, and I am NOT editing it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 33

Enchantment

"Have I mentioned lately that I hate midterms?" Sango said casually.

Kagome snickered. "Only a few times in the past ten minutes."

The five of them had claimed one of the circular booths in the Special. It was a Thursday night and the group was bemoaning their finals.

"I mean, honestly," Sango said. "Chemistry and Genetics midterms on the same day. Psychology has an easy multiple choice one on Monday. Fairy tales on Friday." She huffed. "At least I don't have one for Martial Arts."

Kagome nodded agreement. Her Business midterm would be essay but open book. Computer course didn't have one. Her Element one had already been passed. Her library course didn't schedule one and her Dispel class one was with Inuyasha.

Shippo shrugged. "Mine are easy," he said smugly. "Two illusions, one English paper, a bunch of Math questions..."

Rin smiled. "Me, too. Two psychology multiple choice, English paper, and math problems. I don't know how hard the history one will be, though."

"Two battle magic, one multiple choice psych., create fire, and Dispel with Kagome," Inuyasha said, jerking a thumb in her direction. "Sounds like you've got the worst, Sango." She nodded miserably.

Kagome absently reached for her drink and stared at it in shock. Her shoulders sagged. "Empty."

"Here," Sango said, reaching for the glass. "I'll go get you a new one." Kagome handed her the glass and Sango left for a few minutes.

Kagome read her Dispel homework and just finished the chapter when Sango returned. She looked speculatively at the soda and raised her right hand. She whispered the words, made the gesture, and grinned. "It works!" she said happily.

Inuyasha glanced up as she drank from the glass. He had just finished the same homework. "Kagome," he said casually, "mind if I try it?"

She waved a hand at the drink and said, "Go ahead."

"Thank you." Inuyasha performed the same trick and grimaced.

Kagome stared at the glass. She swallowed hard. "Tell me you did it wrong."

Shippo tilted his head a little. "Kagome... Why is your glass glowing green?"

Inuyasha flipped through his book and found the chart. "Green," he muttered. "Medium level. The glass has been enchanted." He shot a worried look at Kagome.

"Kagome, I didn't know," Sango said, sounding upset. "I went downstairs and put the old glass in the dishwasher. I just picked up one of the glasses like I always do and filled it."

"What is it enchanted to do?" Kagome asked Inuyasha. "It's okay, Sango. Let's just fix it." She glanced at her friend and smiled. "It isn't like I haven't had this happen before."

Inuyasha scanned the pages. "I can't find anything."

"Kagome?"

Inuyasha glared at the male student standing before their table. "What?"

"You're not Kagome," he said, ignoring him. "Kagome, look at me."

"Do I look like an idiot?" she retorted. "I'm not doing anything you tell me to." She deliberately kept her eyes focused on the table.

"That's good," Inuyasha encouraged her. He looked back to the other student. "What'd you do to the glass?"

He smirked. "I didn't do anything. I'm just here to ask Kagome if she'd like to-"

Kagome clapped her hands over her ears. "I can't hear you," she sang.

"Yeah, buzz off," Inuyasha said rudely. He emphasized this point by banging his fist on the table. Kagome's glass tipped over and she yanked her books out of the way. Inuyasha did the same. They both grabbed for the same book and their eyes met.

She blinked a few times and asked, "What would make you happy?"

Inuyasha groaned. "Great. Just great." He looked to the end of the table, but the guy had disappeared.

Shippo shrugged. "He ran."

"No way of knowing what he put on her," Inuyasha grumbled. He sighed.

"What can we do?" Rin asked, looking anxiously at Kagome. The other girl only had eyes for Inuyasha.

He looked at her. "We could take her to Miroku," he said uncertainly. "Is there a phone anywhere?"

Sango nodded. "Let's get her to my house and call from there." The group collected their things and Inuyasha said that it would make him happy if Kagome went with them.

Inuyasha was shown to the phone and fished Miroku's number out of his backpack. The phone rang twice and was picked up. "Hello?" he said.

"Hi, Miroku. This is Inuyasha from Dispel class?"

"Yes."

"Well, we ran into a problem."

"Ah. What kind of problem? Something with the midterm?"

"No. A bunch of us were in the Special and Kagome got a soda. She did the spell in the last chapter to see if anything was wrong with it. The soda was fine so she drank it. I did the same thing, only on the glass. It wasn't okay."

Miroku nodded. "What color was the glass?"

"Glowing green. Some guy showed up and wanted her to look at him, but she looked at me first."

"And?"

"She asked me what would make me happy."

"A simple happiness reinforcement spell. She wants to make you happy." There was a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Where is she?"

"At Sango's house behind the Special."

"I know where it is. Give me twenty minutes. Good-bye."

Miroku hung up the phone and Inuyasha told the group what had happened. They sat down to wait.

Twenty minutes later, Miroku showed up at the door. Sango answered and showed him in. "Please take it off her," Inuyasha said. "She's making me nervous with all the staring."

"Very simple," Miroku agreed, examining Kagome's reaction. He did a few motions in the air, spoke a word, and Kagome blinked rapidly. "Feel better?" Miroku asked.

"Yes," Kagome said slowly. She looked at Inuyasha. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Forget it," he told her.

There was an awkward pause and Miroku coughed. "Kagome, next time modify the spell so that you're testing the whole, not just the drink. You'll be fine now, so I'll be going home."

"Thank you," she told him. He nodded to her and left the house.

"Come on," Inuyasha said. "I'll walk you and Rin home in case that guy shows up again."

"And I'm going to see if anyone noticed him in the kitchen," Sango added.

The guy was never heard from again. Kagome and Inuyasha spent the next few days feeling awkward around each other, but it eventually wore off.


	34. Chapter 34

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 34

Halloween

"Are they straight?" Rin asked.

Kagome glanced at her. "Nope," she replied. She walked over to her roommate and made an effort to straighten the huge round ears.

There was a knock on the door and both girls called, "It's open!"

Sango walked in and smirked. "So how do I look?" She twirled around and Kagome's jaw dropped.

"It's great!" Rin said, admiring the full skirt and the poofed up sleeves. Sango was dressed as a countess. The full-length dress fell to her ankles and had dangling sleeves in black with red undersleeves.

"Thank you. Mom went to a Renaissance fair a few years ago and we're really close in size."

Kagome tugged at her sleeves. "Up or down?" she asked.

Sango considered it. "If your sleeves are down, you're going to get comments."

"Up then," Kagome said immediately. She looked at herself in the full length mirror. This year she was going as a gypsy. She had on a full skirt with a lace shawl wrapped sideways around it and a peasant blouse. She'd tied her hair back with a colorful piece of cloth, too.

Rin had decided on Minnie Mouse. She'd tied a bow in her hair, put on big fuzzy black ears, and had found dress shoes. The character had so many outfits, she had just found a blouse and a skirt.

"So how long are we going to spend at the normal university's party this year?" Sango said, grinning.

Kagome snorted. "Long enough to admire costumes and devour Kenshin's cookies."

Rin blinked. "Um..." Both girls turned to look at her. "Where are we going?"

"To the normal university's party and then the mage university's," Kagome said happily. "In spite of the demon, I enjoyed the mage party better." Rin's eyes went wide and Kagome hastened to reassure her. "No, no, it was only after me! And the teachers took care of it."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's reassuring. Rin, most of the teachers are going to keep an eye on Kagome this time. We won't go anywhere alone. Inuyasha and Shippo are going to meet us there, too. We'll be perfectly safe as long as Kagome's admirers don't decide to do anything this year." Rin nodded bravely and the three set off.

"Miss Kagome?"

She smiled at the 'Miss' and turned around. "Hi, Kenshin."

"Would you please tell Miss Melly that I sent her cookies to her? I mailed them this morning overnight express."

Kagome looked puzzled. Kenshin smiled and said, "Last year she said, "Kenshin, when I graduate, will you please send me cookies? I don't think I could survive the withdrawal." So I sent her cookies."

She shook her head. "I'll email her when I get home and tell her to expect them."

After admiring the decorations of pumpkins and witches, the costumes, and munching eagerly on Kenshin's cookies, the girls followed Kagome to the mage university. Sango accidentally stepped on something that triggered an illusionary flame. Rin and Sango both screeched. Kagome looked back at them. "What?"

Sango looked around. "It wasn't real?"

"What wasn't real?"

"Fire just went over our heads," Rin said shakily.

Kagome frowned. "Did it burn? Was it hot?" They shook their heads. "Maybe it was an illusion." They hurried to the university buildings.

"What do you think?" Kagome asked.

"It's spooky," Rin said honestly.

The room was draped in black. Kagome wasn't certain whether they had used black cloth or if someone had cast an illusion. The shadows moved and thin pale white ghosts fluttered around the ceiling.

Kasumi was at the refreshments table again this year. Kagome discreetly cast her spells on what she had before she ate it.

"Hi," Inuyasha said, walking up to her.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at his costume. "Old mage?" she asked.

"Gandalf," Inuyasha corrected. "Shippo's around here somewhere as a fox."

Kagome giggled. "Of course."

Sango whispered to Kagome that she and Rin were going to go find the bathroom. Kagome nodded and continued her conversation with Inuyasha.

"Hold still," he told her and she froze. He flicked at something on her shoulder and frowned as his finger went right through. "Someone's casting illusions?"

Kagome glanced at her shoulder. "What is it?"

"I thought I saw a spider."

Kagome glanced around for it and shuddered. "I hate those things." Her eyes caught a white streamer and the room changed for a moment. White streamers, a tall cake with two people standing at the top, a heart-shaped stage...

She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, the Halloween party was again in full swing.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

She swallowed hard. "I just saw my wedding reception," she said softly.

Inuyasha looked around. "Someone's got to be casting illusions," he told her.

Sango and Rin came back into the auditorium. They had run into Shippo on the way. "I'm going to go get another couple cookies," Sango told them. "Want anything?" Rin shook her head and Shippo made a request for cookies. Sango went to get them.

Rin shivered. "Cold?" Shippo asked.

"No." She glanced around. "I just keep seeing... It's silly. There are eye sockets floating around. Just a dark face without eyes. And black faces with glowing red eyes and white teeth."

Shippo looked around. "Where?" Rin pointed at one in front of her. Shippo softly spoke a few words and it disappeared.

Rin blinked. "What was it?"

"Just an illusion. There was an illusion of my aunt around here somewhere." He shrugged. "It isn't real."

"Your aunt?" Rin questioned.

"She likes to pinch my cheeks." Shippo shuddered.

Sango had two napkins full of cookies when she looked up into the face of a clown. She dropped the napkins to the table and stared at it. It grinned at her in its clown make-up. "Want a balloon?" it asked. She froze in terror.

"It's not there," a soothing voice said. "The only clowns here are friendly ones. You do not need to be afraid of the illusion."

Sango swallowed hard and blinked. The face went away and she turned to the voice. A short blond man smiled at her. "See? It's gone."

"What was that?" she asked.

"Just an illusion. The theme of the party this year is illusions. Your mind will create whatever you're mildly afraid of."

"Clowns do not fall into that category," Sango said shakily.

He smiled. "I imagine you could find a few things you're more scared of than clowns." He nodded to her. "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner."  
>"Sango. Thank you for getting rid of it."<p>

"I didn't. All you have to do is close your eyes and when you open them, the illusion will be gone."

"Quatre?"

Sango's eyes shut and opened. It didn't work. She swallowed. "Um..."

Quatre winced. "Bad choice of a costume, Trowa. She's scared of clowns."

"No, no, it's all right," Sango said.

Trowa removed the half of his face and swept the hat off his head. "Better?" he asked. Sango nodded. "I wonder if clowns are ever afraid of people without make-up?" he wondered aloud. Quatre began giggling and Sango smiled tentatively.

A few minutes later, the five of them were in a group. Sango told about her experience with the clown and Inuyasha said triumphantly that he knew it had to be illusions. "I hope that's as spooky as it gets," Kagome said.

Inuyasha groaned and tapped Kagome on the shoulder. "Never say that. As soon as you do, something worse happens," he scolded.

"He's right."

Kagome looked in the direction of the voice and jumped. She closed her eyes and sighed when he was still there. "Now you are someone I wish was an illusion."

"What?" Kouga asked. "You don't like the costume?" He spun in a circle and grinned at Kagome. "Want to be little red riding hood?"

"No, she don't, Mr. Big Bad Wolf," Sango retorted.

"Ah, Kagome," Miroku said, walking up to her. "Have you been having any problems this Halloween?"

"Nothing except for a few illusions." She gave Kouga a pointed look and he winked at her before he left.

"Ah, something'll happen," a new voice said. "I've heard that she's a trouble magnet." He grinned at her. "You also don't encourage it. Bravo."

"Kagome, I'd like to introduce Duo Maxwell," Miroku said, waving a hand at the cloaked figure.

Duo switched his scythe to his left hand so he could shake hands with Kagome. "This silent character here is Heero Yuy. He decided not to dress up."

"I didn't decide not to. I had no intentions in the first place," Heero corrected.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Sure. Kagome, most of the teachers around here are keeping an eye on you. We're not having another demon summoned. No matter how much Ranma likes being the center of attention."

A glowing light lit the auditorium and Duo spun towards it. "That's not on the schedule. Someone afraid of a huge lightbulb?"

Miroku frowned. "I don't know."

White shapes began to float around the room and Kagome stiffened. "Spirits," she said softly.

Miroku shot a glance at her and then at the floating person in front of him. "Ah."

"You've met her," the woman said. "Don't mess it up and remember what I told you."

"Yes, Mom," Miroku said automatically. The woman nodded and drifted away.

"What's that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Someone seems to have released a lot of ghosts or spirits into the room," Heero said calmly. "We'll investigate the light." He strode off.

"Can't take him anywhere," Duo muttered and ran after him. Miroku stayed with the group and waited.

A petite woman pushed her way through the crowd. "Oh, drat," she said, looking at the scene.

There was a table with four girls around it. The problem was an Ouija board. It was in the center, their hands were joined, and spirits were flowing through it.

"So what's the plan?" Duo asked.

She glanced at him. "Oh, it's you. Well, we can't separate them. We've got to shut the board down first."

"After you," Duo said gallantly.

"So kind." She snickered a bit and then began preparations.

Duo and Heero made their way back to Miroku after it was over. The spirits had drifted all over and had to be pulled back through the board first.

"What happened?" Miroku asked.

"Four girls. Ouija board. Spirits floating through the board because someone wasn't happy with their answers and decided to summon a spirit to talk to them directly. Tokio shut down the board and got the girls home." Duo summed it up neatly.

"For once, it wasn't after you," Inuyasha teased Kagome.

She sighed deeply. "And believe me, it is so nice to know that."


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer, followed by shameless plugging: This story was written by Moonsilver, and is unedited. But please, go to my author page and check out my numerous Evangelion fanfics!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 35<br>Course Schedule

Kagome opened her eyes to the ringing of the phone. She stumbled out of bed and picked it up. "Morning," she mumbled.

"Hi! How was the trip?" Sango asked.

"Great."

Sango snickered. "Did I wake you up?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sorry. You need to pick up course schedule booklets before we meet at Inuyasha's. We're going to look them over."

"Okay."

Sango laughed and said, "Good-bye."

Kagome hung up the phone and went about getting dressed.

"Now that you're awake..." Sango smiled at her friend. "How was the trip?"

Kagome swallowed the last bit of her cookie. "Great."

Sango laughed. "You said that this morning. Details!"

Rin drank from her glass and set it down again. "It was a long trip," she said.

"Four hours isn't long," Kagome objected.

"It is on a bus." Rin shuddered. "At least they made one pit stop on the way down and back."

Sango wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. Bus toilets."

"But there were only twenty of us," Kagome said. "And we had a good time." She launched into a description of Quincy Market and the museum they had gone to.

"Then we went to the hotel to sleep," Rin finished. "We got up and went back to Quincy Market. Then we had a late breakfast and came home around four."

"You forgot the best part!" Kagome said dramatically clasping a hand to her chest.

"What was that?" Inuyasha said, distracted by his schedule packet.

"No notes! No flowers! No annoyances from the boys on campus!" Kagome said cheerfully. "It was great!"

She paused. "Of course when I got back there were twice as many as usual."

Sango snickered and shook her head. "So what do you think of the new format?"

Kagome glanced at the yellow stapled packet. "It looks the same as it always does."

Sango flipped it open and began making notes. She had her courses laid out that she had to take. Thanks to a May term course, she could sneak by with only four classes this semester if she had to.

Kagome opened the first page suspiciously. Classes, their numbers, where they were, who was teaching, when...they...were...

She snorted. "Why wasn't I consulted about this? Who made these changes without letting me know? I am outraged that they would do this! Who are they to mess with my college experience!"

"Um, the administration? The nice people who are going to give us degrees?" Rin suggested hopefully.

"Good point. But what is this?" Kagome gestured at the packet.

"New class schedule," Inuyasha told her.

Kagome huffed. "I can see that. Why are all the classes so long?"

"Because they're only once a week."

"Oh." Kagome quieted down. "I don't think I can sit through two and a half hours of psychology."

"If it's with Duo, you could." Rin smiled.

Kagome checked the course listings. "And he's teaching one from nine to quarter of noon on Thursday." She wrote that down.

Soon they all had a list of courses they wanted and what schedules they would fit into. It paid to have at least three alternate schedules because sometimes the classes that you wanted were filled up. If you didn't have alternates and found that art class was full... You had to choose something else in a hurry. What if all the other classes conflicted with one you had to have to graduate? Not a good scenario.

They kept the main courses to themselves and concentrated on electives. Kagome piped up with her schedule first. "I think I want Intro to Psychology on Thursday and Intro. to Wards on Tuesday."

"What time?" Inuyasha asked.

"Which one?"

"Wards."

"Ten to twelve thirty."

"I've got that written down, too." Inuyasha checked it off.

"Me, too," Shippo said.

"What about your other classes, Kagome?" Sango asked.

Kagome blinked. "The other two are library classes." Sango looked at her blankly. "They're online. They don't have a specific time."

Sango's jaw dropped. "So next semester... You're going out into the cold only twice a week?" She glanced down at her preferred schedule. "I've got every day except Thursday. General Chemistry II from nine thirty to three in the afternoon-"

"Huh?" Rin asked.

"Well, the class is from nine thirty to twelve fifteen. The lab for the class starts at one and runs until three. So I've got enough time to find something in the cafeteria or the vending machine." Sango continued. "Anthropology from one to three forty-five on Tuesday. Mythological Creatures from eight to ten thirty on Wednesday, and Martial Arts from ten to quarter of one on Friday."

Rin smiled. "I thought Mythological Creatures would be interesting, too." She quoted her schedule, two psychology courses, a drama course that studied early American movies and meditation, plus the course she had already mentioned.

Shippo said that he'd take psychology, too, along with Wards and Element I.

"Anthropology, British Literature, Wards, and my two Battle Magic classes," Inuyasha said finally.

"So... Sango and Rin will have Mythological Creatures together and you, me, and Shippo will have Wards." Kagome smiled. "Sounds good."

"I'll go talk this over with my advisor tomorrow," Rin said, carefully tucking her papers away into her backpack.

Kagome shrugged. "Not me." Rin looked at her questioningly. "My advisor doesn't really care what I do."

"Mine, either," Sango added. "But we've got the same one, too."

Rin stopped. "I talk to mine all the time. He's really enthusiastic about what classes to take. Even if he does try to steer me into his classes."

"Uh, Rin?" Kagome said slowly. "That didn't really sound good."

Rin snorted. "He's a bachelor. He lives with four other guys in a huge house. I don't think Duo is after a scrawny little girl like me."

"Oh," Kagome said relaxing. She remembered the guy dressed as Death from the Halloween party. "You're right."

"Great, now I'm scrawny," Rin muttered.

"You said it first," Sango pointed out.

"She didn't have to agree with me!"

"Advisors get excited, too." Inuyasha looked up from his homework. "Treize is like that. Of course, he tries to push me into horticulture classes. Guy's got a thing about roses."

"I've got Zechs. The guy I sent you to when you had that heart?" Shippo said, grinning. Kagome rolled her eyes.

Sango pulled her assignment book out of her pack and glanced through it. "Hey, next week is Thanksgiving," she said.

"Oh, good," Inuyasha replied sarcastically. "Sess?" The older man came to the doorway and looked at him inquiringly. "You're cooking next week, right?"

"Of course I am," he said and went back into the kitchen.

"What's he doing?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "No idea. Probably trying out a new recipe." He gave her a stern look. "Now you're coming back with warm clothes."

The way he said it made it a statement of fact that could not be gotten around. "Yes."

"And your boots? It'll snow before you go home for Christmas."

"Yes."

"What about your heavier coat?"

Kagome fought to keep a straight face. "Yes, Mom. I'll get my warm clothes, my boots, my heavier coat, and I'll even find my hat and gloves."

"Good," Inuyasha said haughtily. They looked at each other for another minute and both of them cracked up.

Sesshoumaru made a large pot of beef stew for dinner. Sango and Rin both had sandwiches instead. After their meal, they all went back to studying. Inuyasha and Kagome shared their Dispel textbook, lying on the floor side by side.

At one point, Kagome looked at Inuyasha's notes and shook her head. They were about a foot apart from each other. Kagome reached over and took Inuyasha's pencil away from him, brushing her arm across his chest in the process. "Uh-uh," she said. "The diagram has to go from here to here." She drew the extra line.

He examined it and nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"No problem," she said and handed him back his pencil.

Hm... Rin raised her eyebrows over that exchange. She just touched a guy's chest and yet she doesn't seem to notice.

"Are you sure you're not interested in Inuyasha?" Rin asked.

"Definitely."

"Because you two are kinda close."

"A guy and a girl can't be friends?"

"Yeah. They can be friends. But sometimes it evolves into something else."

"Mm-hm. And I'm not saying that it won't."

"So you do like him?"

"He's a friend, Rin. I'm practicing being undateable right now."

"Ah. Is that what it's called?" Rin glanced at the trash bag bursting with flowers and notes.

"Just because everyone else doesn't get it..."


	36. Chapter 36

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 36

Movie Night

They arrived twenty minutes before seven o'clock. "I saw it in theater," Shippo told them.

"We know," Sango said. "You've told us that at least three times." She handed her three dollars to the person at the door and waited with Kagome and Rin while Inuyasha and Shippo paid a dollar and a half.

They found an empty table and tugged an extra chair over. Sango and Rin sat on Kagome's left and right. Shippo took a seat beside Rin and Inuyasha sat on Sango's left.

"Kagome?" someone asked and she turned. "Would you like to sit with us?" He gestured at his other two friends.

She shook her head. "No, thank you." Turning back to the table, she shrugged at Sango's inquiring look.

In the next fifteen minutes, Kagome got no less than nine invitations from other boys. Inuyasha glanced around. "There are some familiar faces in here," he said.

"Yeah," Shippo agreed. "I recognize a few from class."

A middle-aged woman walked up to the front of the room. "Hello!" she said loudly. The room quieted down. "I have an announcement to make. Shrek 2 was scheduled for tonight's showing. Unfortunately, someone has switched the movie. We've called around to the local video stores, but can't find a copy. The closest copy we can find is about half an hour away in my house. So we've decided to show the movie that was left in its place instead of canceling tonight's show. We'll start showing Silence of the Lambs in ten minutes. If you do not want to see this movie, your money will be refunded to you."

Voices began to rise and Kagome turned to look at her friends. "Well?" she asked.

Shippo shrugged. "I don't mind leaving or staying."

"Same for me," Sango piped up.

Rin wrinkled her nose. "I hate scary movies, so I'll be leaving."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

He snorted. "I'm not a fan of them, either."

Kagome nodded. "And if I watch that, I'll wake up the entire dorm with the screaming nightmare I'll have."

They all got up and Inuyasha, Shippo, and Sango retrieved their money. Movie nights were free for normal university students so Rin and Kagome hadn't paid a thing. The mage university worked out a deal between the two universities. If a student at one wanted to go to an event for another, it was half price. Sango, as a guest, paid three dollars.

They walked outside and dithered around for a moment. "Hey," Inuyasha began. "Who's seen Spiderman 2?"

"Saw it in theaters," Sango said, raising her hand a little.

"My parents bought it right before I left to come back so I didn't get to." Kagome grimaced.

"I didn't get to see it, but I wanted to," Rin said shyly.

"I saw it in the theater and bought it the day it came out," Shippo said smugly. "But I don't mind seeing it again."

"Sess just bought it today. Anyone want to come to my house and watch it?" Inuyasha offered.

"Pass up a movie and whatever snacks your brother has lying around the house? Surely not!" Kagome said dramatically. "Lead on, good sir!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but held out his arm. Kagome smiled and took it gracefully. Sango snickered. The other three followed them to Inuyasha's house.

He opened the door and walked right in. Sesshoumaru looked up from the television which was playing the aforementioned movie. "You're home early. Something happen to the movie?" he said, after pausing the dvd.

"Yeah. Someone switched it for Silence of the Lambs." Inuyasha put his coat on the coatrack.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "And since my brother doesn't like horror movies, you came home."

"Actually, he invited us all to see that one," Kagome said, pointing at the screen.

His eyebrows went up slightly, but he nodded. "Lucky I'm only twenty minutes into it. Let me find something to eat." He rose from his chair and walked into the kitchen.

Inuyasha gestured at the room. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Sango looked at the clock and her eyes darted to the phone. "Can I call my mom?" she asked. Inuyasha waved a hand at the phone.

She dialed her number and began speaking when her mom picked up. "Hi, Mom. The movie got switched to Silence of the Lambs. We didn't want to see it so we're at Inuyasha's for Spiderman 2. I don't know when the movie ends, so did you want me to call before I came home?"

Inuyasha looked at her from where he was pulling a blanket from the couch. "Tell her that I'll walk you home."

Sango nodded and repeated the message. She hung up and smiled at him. "Thanks. I know we're in a friendly town and all, but..."

"But someone could decide to be really friendly," Inuyasha finished.

When Sesshoumaru returned, Shippo had claimed the other chair. Sango and Rin were sharing the couch. Inuyasha and Kagome had made... Some sort of nest on the floor with three blankets and two pillows. He shook his head and distributed plates full of cookies and apple slices.

"Kagome," he said, using the remote to go back to the menu, "did you talk about tonight in class?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Sango and I were talking about it in the cafeteria today."

"And what is one of the oldest tricks in the book when dating?" She gave him a blank look. "Take the girl to a horror movie so she'll be scared and lean closer to you for comfort."

Her jaw dropped. "You're telling me that they might have switched the movie..."

Inuyasha laughed. "So that's why so many people were asking if you wanted to sit with them!"

Kagome huffed and slumped back into her pillow. "Men are idiots," she muttered. "Present company excluded."

Sesshoumaru wisely started the movie.

Sango called her mother after the movie ended and the group started home. Most of them were busily discussing the movie.

Kagome was still angry over what could have happened. They switched the movie just because of me, she fumed. How could they think that I'd choose to watch the movie with them when I was already with my friends? Or why I'd stay in the first place if it was something that would scare me that badly?

"Do they ever think?" Kagome said out loud.

Sango cocked her head and looked at her. "Of course not."

"I've only been here for three months and even I know you don't want anyone," Rin said.

Shippo shrugged. "It's not exactly rocket science. You get rid of every present. You don't open the letters. You don't talk to any guys except me and Inuyasha. And your teachers."

"So why did they think it would work?"

"Because they don't think," Inuyasha interrupted. "They're seeing you as a stereotypical girl who'll be impressed by them. You're playing hard to get or so the other students think."

"Well, I'm not," Kagome said vehemently. "I want to go up to my room tonight and not have a dozen roses waiting for me. Or the letters and notes I get every day."

"But it won't happen," she continued. "A lot of the guys here seem to think they're going to wear me down or something. Maybe the end to this whole Source of Magic thing is for the current source to not to get married and have children."

Inuyasha winced. "There's a thought. Not a really great one."

"So you're on their side?" Kagome said distressed.

"No!" Inuyasha said, sounding shocked. "Not getting married isn't really the answer either."

"Why?"

"Because what if you do meet someone that you like?" Sango said practically. "Make sure that the next Source has an easier time. Threaten to be on birth control for your entire life if they don't ease off your kid."

"Evil," Kagome said after a moment.

"It might work."

"Still evil."

"I know." Sango waggled her eyebrows up and down.

Rin and Kagome walked into their room, both intent on getting a shower and then some sleep. Kagome was first inside and something jumped at her from her bed. She screamed and backpedaled. She hit Rin and they both tumbled to the ground.

Someone stepped into the room behind them, calmly saying a few words. Whatever had startled Kagome disappeared. "I saved you," the male said cheerfully. "It's gone. Now, as my reward-"

Kagome got to her feet, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him. "What's the big idea, scaring me like that? I probably woke up half the floor and it's all your fault. Do you think I'm that much of an idiot to think that you just 'happened' to be here? You probably put that thing in here to scare me! And asking for a reward?!"

Rin huffed. "Well, I'm not impressed." She pointed at her ankle. "Kagome, I think I need to be helped down to the student health center. That little accident twisted my ankle."

"It's not open this late," Kagome said worried.

"Then we'll call Sesshoumaru and ask him to fix it," Rin told her. "Could you leave?" she asked the boy. "I'm hurt, it's your fault, and unless you want to be yelled at...?"

He nodded and took her advice. They heard him run down the hall and the door slam. "Go see if he's really gone," Rin whispered. Kagome checked the door and nodded. "Good." Rin got to her feet and fetched her bath things.

Kagome stared at her. "It was a trick."

"Yup," Rin said calmly. "Worked, too."


	37. Chapter 37

**Thank you, ****_kichonakagome23466_****, for your reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying Moonsilver's story.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 37

Christmas Present Shopping

"Kagome!"

Her eyes flew open and she tried to focus on what was happening. She was moving. No... She was being moved.

"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome!" Rin said happily.

"I'm awake!" Kagome told her, smiling. "The way you're trying to shake me awake... I thought we were having an earthquake!"

Rin let go of her roommate and pointed at the window. "It snowed! It's snowing! There is snow!"

Kagome glanced at the window. "Time to put on my boots."

"Is that all you can say?! It's pretty. It's white and glistening. It just screams for a snowball fight."

Kagome held up her hands. "No way. Go find Inuyasha if you want that. We've got a date to go over to his house to decorate the tree. I do not want to be soaked in the process."

Rin pouted. "That doesn't sound like any fun at all."

Sango finished telling the joke and all three of the girls cracked up. "I can't believe that!" Rin said, tugging her hat down further. "The pharmacist said that she had a prescription?"

Sango nodded. "Yup. Never thought a picture could be one of those, but..."

Kagome grabbed Rin as she slipped. "Slush is slippery, too," she warned. "We'll go get you some boots today."

Rin smiled sheepishly. "I guess so. Sneakers just don't work, do they? My feet are frozen!"

A snowball landed in front of them and they looked up at two grinning boys behind a snowfort. Kagome's eyes widened. "No!" she shrieked.

Rin tried to keep from snickering. Kagome sighed heavily for the fifth time. "I said that I didn't want to get wet. I know I did."

"I was a witness," Rin said, raising one hand and giggling at her. "You got hit with at least five snowballs and then fell over backwards into the slush on the sidewalk."

Kagome looked down at her pants. Her boots had kept her feet dry and her coat had protected her shirt. But her jeans were soaked. Luckily, her coat was long enough to cover her rear so her underwear wasn't sticking as well.

Sesshoumaru looked up from where the tree box was. "Kagome..." he said slowly. "Do you have anything against flannel?"

She blinked. "Uh, no."

"Inuyasha, don't you have some drawstring pants?" Sess asked. Inuyasha nodded, got to his feet, and ran up the stairs. "If you'll change, I'll throw your pants into the dryer. They should be ready before you leave."

He returned with a pair of blue plaid sleeping pants. Kagome looked at them and sighed again. She accepted them and went to the bathroom to take off her wet jeans.

When she returned, she had them on. She had to let the drawstring out a little and roll up the cuffs three times, but... "These," she said slowly, "are so warm. Where did you get them?"

"Reny's," Inuyasha said with a shrug.

"Okay, I know where I'm shopping this afternoon." Kagome went to sit down on the couch with Rin and Sango while the boys did the complicated dance of putting up the tree.

The tree went up okay and the lights were artistically woven in and out. Kagome rolled her eyes at their antics. The lights couldn't just be draped around the tree. They had to be tucked in.

The boxes of ornaments came out and they all helped decorate the tree. Little green and red lanterns frosted with glittering snow, the traditional red, blue, green, and yellow glass balls, snowmen, candles, and other things. There were some individual ornaments that Sesshoumaru had bought last year. Inuyasha made sure that the little Yoda ornament had a place of honor, while Shippo found a place for Yukon Cornelius.

Kagome smiled as the tree was almost finished. That's why, she realized. Sango gets to decorate her tree with her mom, but the rest of us go home to an already decorated tree. It's a special part of Christmas.

"There!" Sesshoumaru said satisfied. "How does it look?"

"Great," Kagome said. She pointed underneath. "Except for the fact that there aren't any presents under it yet." She pressed a hand to her forehead. "I feel a shopping spree coming on."

Sango chuckled. "And I've got a few extra hours this afternoon. Want to walk downtown?"

"I've got to get boots," Rin said ruefully. "Isn't there a shoe place on the corner?"

Kagome nodded. "So we'll go shopping."

"After I feed you lunch," Sess insisted. "I made lasagna."

"Shopping is postponed," Kagome said hastily.

The first place the girls hit was Muted Twilight. Kagome walked purposefully down the aisle and plucked her prize off the shelf. "This is definitely for Inuyasha."

Sango looked at it. It was just a dark brown box with a Celtic circle on it. "Why?"

Kagome handed it to her. "Try to open it."

She pulled at the obvious place, but it didn't work. "What's wrong with it?" Sango asked.

"Nothing." Kagome took it back. "It's a puzzle box. It only opens one way."

Sango and Rin began looking around. While Kagome was looking at the clothing in the back, Sango pointed out the jewelry. "She's been looking at one of those necklaces for weeks. It's twenty-five dollars. Want to go halves?" Rin nodded.

Sango got the necklace off the wall and gave Rin her half of the money. Rin paid for the necklace while Sango distracted Kagome around the Celtic tapestries.

"You know..." Kagome fingered a deep green one with the Tree of Life on it. "Shippo did admire our drapes once. Do you think if we bought him one, he'd use it?"

"Sure," Sango said. "Would he like this one?" They both agreed on the green one.

Over the next few days, there were quite a few shopping trips. Some were in groups, some went by themselves. Finals descended on the group and shopping was done in between studying.

Kagome filled trashbag after trashbag full of Christmas cards, invitations of private study sessions, and miscellaneous flowers and candy. She truly hated to throw away the beautiful poinsettias, but she couldn't accept any of it without sending the wrong message.

She was using her gloves and checking the tags before she donated the gifts to goodwill. Her friends had all agreed to meet at Sesshoumaru's and put the presents under the tree there. In fact, more presents kept showing up underneath that tree.

But there might be one or two cards or presents that were sincere. From fellow classmates or teachers.

Kagome found one marked 'From Jinenji, Shippo's roommate'. She worked the enchantment spell and found that it was safe. She pried open the metal tin to find an assortment of cookies and small candies.

She sank down to the bed. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't just throw this away, but she couldn't accept it. If she did and Jinenji showed up for a date...

Kagome picked up her coat and walked out the door. She'd go ask Shippo.

She arrived at his door and knocked. A voice called for her to come in and she entered the room. Kagome managed to keep the grimace off her face when she realized Shippo wasn't there.

"Hello," Jinenji said slowly. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Kagome returned. "Um... Is Shippo coming back soon?"

Jinenji shook his head. "No. He went shopping."

Kagome stiffened her resolve and held out the tin. "I can't accept these."

He looked at them. "Why? Are you allergic to sugar?"

She bit her lip. "No... Jinenji, you're really sweet, but..."

"They're just a present. My mom sent me five tins to give away."

"Oh," Kagome said quietly. "Just a present?" She emphasized the word 'just'.

He stared at her. "Yes. You're Shippo's friend and he's been much happier here since you met." He tilted his head. "Is it so strange that you would receive a gift that didn't have any strings attached?"

"Tell that to the three bags sitting downstairs." She sighed. "A lot of the notes have date invitations attached. I can't accept the presents because if I do, that guy automatically becomes my boyfriend."

Jinenji pointed at the tin. "They're not bespelled. And I don't want to be your boyfriend."

Kagome laughed. She opened the tin and munched on one of the cookies. "These are good," she said. "Thank you. And would you thank your mom for me?" He nodded.

Kagome's next trip was to the cafeteria. "Kenshin?" she asked from the counter.

"Yes, Miss Kagome?" he said, coming around the corner.

She offered a box. "Merry Christmas."

He motioned her around to the side and handed her a box in exchange. "This is from Kaoru and I."

She unwrapped it to reveal a small piece of jade with a loop at the top. "Jade is for healing, calming, cleansing, and protection," he explained. "If you wear it or keep it in your pocket, all you have to do is hold it and then whisper to it 'cleanse'. It will make sure that nothing you eat or drink is enchanted."

"Thank you!" she said and hugged him.

He unwrapped his while she was examining the stone. He pulled a gold snowflake surrounded by three gold rings out of the box. It was on a tiny 'S' hanger that had three stars decorating it.

"I thought you might want something for your tree."

"It is perfect and Kaoru and I will enjoy it very much. I'll place it on the tree tonight. Thank you."

Kagome smiled at him. "Now, there's something else I'd like to discuss..."

To:

From:

Subject: Merry Christmas!

Dear Melly,

I sent your present out today and I hope it gets there soon. I overnighted the package so be sure to unwrap it quickly. It is...perishable.

-Kagome

Since Kagome had a final at eight o'clock that morning, they all made arrangements to meet at Sesshoumaru's at ten o'clock. Kagome, Rin, and Shippo were going home between that evening and the next morning, so it was a good time for the presents.

Shippo was the last one to arrive. The tree was lit and there were a few extra presents underneath. Rin walked out of the kitchen to see who had arrived and waved at him. "We're in the kitchen, helping with pre-Christmas dinner."

It wasn't Christmas dinner and Christmas Eve wasn't until almost a week from now. So it was a practice dinner. It wasn't anything fancy. Sess had bought an extra ham, made some mashed potatoes and gravy, and some macaroni and cheese. There was a couple cans of string beans on the table and some rolls with butter.

"Shippo, could you help Inuyasha set the table? He's got a problem with the glasses."

"Sess," Inuyasha complained. "I only break one or two every other year."

"Let's hope it's not this year," Kagome said, grinning. Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at her.

Shippo helped and soon the table was set. The dishes were laid out and everyone had a good meal. Kagome made mountains with her mashed potatoes. Inuyasha tried to build a fort out of his string beans. Rin behaved with impeccable table manners, while Sesshoumaru carved the ham for them. Sango had to get up to find some jam to put on her rolls and Shippo absconded it after a few minutes of inactivity.

Once the dishes were all in the sink, it was present time. "Should we get into pajamas and act like we just woke up?" Kagome asked.

"Hah! It's just another excuse for you to steal my pants again!"

"They were warm! Besides, I have my own pair and I slept in them last night. So there."

"That's not necessary," Sesshoumaru assured her. "Who's handing out the presents?"

"Oh, why don't you play Santa?" Inuyasha said with a smirk.

He nodded and crouched down by the tree. He pulled out a small package and handed it to Inuyasha. "Congratulations. You just appointed yourself as my elf. This goes to Kagome."

Inuyasha grumbled but took it to its recipient. Sesshoumaru made small piles and Inuyasha ferried them to where they needed to go. They all sat on the floor and waited for everyone to have their presents.

"Okay," Kagome said, fingers poised above the paper. "Is any of this fragile?"

Inuyasha raised a finger. "The small package of Sango's is the only one I know of." No one else spoke up and Sango promised to be careful.

Kagome's hand descended and ripped the paper off. Her eyes widened and she squealed. "The entire Enchanted Forest Chronicles? Shippo, where did you find them?"

"Ordered them online. I'm just glad they got here in time."

"I love them! My paperback copies are so bad right now that the pages are falling out."

"We know," Rin and Sango chorused.

"I know exactly what to do with this," Sango said, opening the small glass box with a golden butterfly design. "Thank you, Inuyasha and Shippo."

"And these match the tapestry," Rin said, displaying her pillow covers. "The jewelry box is just great."

"I'm glad someone was paying attention when I said I didn't have anything to write in," Shippo said, examining his new journal. "Thank you, Rin."

Kagome admired the dolphin design on her new mousepad while Shippo went on to unwrap his Celtic tapestry. Sango promised to make it into curtains for him if he wanted them.

Kagome had to lean over to show Inuyasha how to get into his puzzle box. Shippo looked at the back of the Escher puzzle to figure out how it was supposed to go together.

"I know what I'm watching tonight," Inuyasha said, opening the Star Wars trilogy DVD set.

Kagome swallowed hard as she removed the necklace from its box. "Oh," she said softly. "Do you like it?" Rin asked.

"You've been looking at it," Sango told her.

"It's perfect. Someone going to help me put it on?" Kagome asked. Rin helped her. "Thank you."

"Before we get too mushy," Inuyasha said, "Sess hasn't opened his present yet."

"Oh, that's because I haven't fetched the rest." He stood and retrieved five metal bucket tins. "I believe those are your favorites." The buckets were opened to reveal layer upon layer of their favorite cookies.

Sess opened his package and smiled at the seventh season of Stargate. "Great. We're going to have dueling sound effects. Stargate versus Star Wars."

As things always do, the small party ended. The presents were taken home, the wrapping paper was pushed into the trash, and the fall semester ended with the promise of phone calls during winter break.


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: This story is by Moonsilver, I make no claim to it. It is unedited, left exactly as I found it years ago. I'm sharing with the Inuyasha fans here on FFnet, who otherwise might not have found and read such a great story.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 38

First Week of Classes

Kagome stood outside of the classroom and shook her head. That man, she thought slowly. Rin talked me into one of his classes how?

Professor Duo Maxwell, or just Duo as he insisted, was a bundle of energy. She could see why Rin liked him, though. His enthusiasm was infectious.

She flipped her hand around to check her watch and noted that it was quarter to noon. This is insane, she thought, walking to the cafeteria. I've got one class on Thursday and one on Tuesday. I'm finished with both of them around lunchtime. The other two courses are online. What am I supposed to do with myself?

Of course, I do have a lot more free time, she thought. Kagome checked the road and walked across the street. But I've only got two mornings booked for the whole week!

Oh, well. I'll get my reading caught up and find something.

Sango yawned. Her schedule was definitely keeping her on her toes. Monday was pretty much shot as far as working at the Special. She was in General Chemistry with 'Little Washu' from nine thirty to three. Tuesday, she could work in the morning and evening, but she had her Anthropology class from one to four. Wednesday was wonderful because she had Mythological Creatures as an early class, only eight to ten thirty. Friday wasn't half bad either. Martial Arts was from ten to one.

Of course, Tuesday's class was a little strange. Her martial arts instructor, Ranma Saotome, had walked Professor Hibiki to the room. Then Akane came to take him to his next class. Ryoga had wandered all around the room talking about the class. He had been everywhere on the seven continents or at least it sounded like it.

Her mythological creatures class was strange, too. Mihoshi had lost the syllabus inside the huge briefcase she had. When she finally found it, she tripped over the wastebasket trying to hand it out. She got lost reading and rambled about other things. In spite of all this, Sango left the first class with a better understanding of creatures.

Rin got out of Meditation class and stretched. It is such a nice class, she thought. Definitely what I need at the end of this week.

She had Adulthood and Aging psychology class with Duo from ten to quarter of one on Monday. Then she turned around and had Mental Health and Self Exploration with Une from one to quarter of four. She didn't really have time to grab anything to eat, but as long as she ate a good breakfast before her first class, she was fine until four. On Tuesday she had Appreciation of Early American Movies from four to quarter of seven. Wednesday, she had Mythological Creatures from eight to ten thirty.

Duo was just the same. Une was a little too calm to teach psychology, but who was she to tell? Shampoo was Chinese and very pretty. She had someone named Mousse come to walk her home after class. It was late at night when the class ended, but Rin was only a minute's walk from her dorm. Plenty of other students were around at seven o'clock, because the cafeteria closed then. Mihoshi was funny and Sango was in Mythological Creatures class with her.

But meditation was one class she needed. Just watching Duo bounce around and lecture was exhausting. Une was calming, but draining. Movie class was great, but she had nothing to do on Tuesdays until it started at four.

Her main question this year was what to do with herself? She had five classes, but only Monday was really involved. Tuesday didn't start until four, Wednesday she had from ten thirty on to find something to do, and Thursday she had the whole morning and evening.

Maybe Kagome would have an idea?

Inuyasha grumbled most of the way to his house. British Literature sucked. That was it. It just sucked.

Anthropology wasn't too bad. At least it took up Monday morning. He had Wards I with Kagome and Shippo on Tuesday morning. British Literature wasn't good. Eleven to one thirty on Wednesday. The teacher was okay, but the whole subject... Gah.

He stomped up the steps and inside. Sess had baked pork chops the night before and that was going to be a good snack.

Shippo shook his head. Fuko was just like Kagome had described. His element class was turning out to be really good. Monday morning was Psychology 101, Tuesday with Kagome and Inuyasha in Wards I taught by Miroku, and the other two Illusion and Deceptive Tactics classes.

He grinned. This semester was going to be really great!

About an hour into the first Saturday studying group of the new year, Inuyasha growled at his textbook. "Something wrong?" Kagome asked, still looking at her psychology homework.

"I hate British Lit. class."

"Tell us something we don't know."

"Treize is okay, but this..." Inuyasha gestured to the text. "Literature and I don't get along. Give me a good science fiction book any day."

"Drop the class. Take something else," Kagome advised.

"No good. I want at least a little culture out of college life," Inuyasha told her.

Kagome marked her place and got out her Wards homework. "Take a break and help me with this." Inuyasha shrugged and rummaged in his backpack for the book.

Sango and Rin were taking advantage of the time together to work on their Mythological Creatures homework. Read a chapter and identify the creatures by picture. Not too hard. Shippo was practicing a new spell for illusions.

When their homework was done a couple hours later, they went into the kitchen for sandwiches. Inuyasha had fussed about British Literature enough so that they all knew he hated it.

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, pick another teacher, all right?"

He blinked. "Okay." He drew in a deep breath. "I went to Battle Magic class and this weird lady was teaching it. She showed us the shadow sphere and called herself Kagehoshi. She slid around in the shadows and you couldn't see her. She knows a lot about magic so she's teaching the lecture part of the course."

Inuyasha scratched his head. "The weird thing is that she's Recca's mom."

Kagome mouth fell open. "Kagehoshi? One of the Hokage?" Inuyasha nodded. "Recca and Fuko are Hokage."

He shrugged. "They're ninjas. Great. Well, she's strange."

"Rin and I have a problem. We've both got a lot of time on our hands. Any suggestions?" Kagome asked.

Sango shook her head. "Not me. I'm booked between classes and work."

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm going to be struggling with Brit. Lit."

"Practicing illusions," Shippo said.

Rin spoke up. "I've got an idea already. I'm going to invade the library."

Kagome groaned. "So you're going to exercise your brains and I'm not going to be doing anything. Wonderful."

Somehow it didn't turn out that way...

Rin wanted to know if Kagome wanted to go with her to the mage university's library and Kagome accepted. Once there, Rin dove into the stacks and Kagome wandered around. She looked idly at the books and wondered if there was actually anything interesting in there.

One title caught her attention and she tipped the book off the shelf.

Rin's eyes widened as she saw the stack of books in Kagome's arms. "Did you find something? the other girl said dryly.

Kagome grinned. "No, I'm hauling these around for weight training."

She nodded. "Glad we cleared that up." They both laughed. "So what are they really for?"

"Most of these are protection spells. I'm not on a really advanced level, but these are the beginner's books."

"Hm... What's the difference?"

"Range mostly. Beginner spells are just as good as advanced ones. Advanced spells last longer, defend against more stuff, can protect a few people at a time, cover an entire house instead of just one room... But beginner spells do basically the same thing as the advanced ones."

Rin paused. "Most of the books are protection spells. What are the rest?"

Kagome snickered. "Did you know that this library has a pretty good craft section? I think I'm going to learn how to crochet. Feel like having a scarf soon?"

Rin coughed. "Sure. Just practice a bit first. And I get to choose the yarn."


	39. Chapter 39

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 39

Kagome's Birthday

Something had been nagging at him all day. He'd checked his assignment folder and all of his syllabi to figure out if it was homework, but everything was checked off. It wasn't the new moon either.

Shaking his head, he went downstairs. "Hey, Sess?"

His older brother looked at him from his chair. "Yes?"

"Have I forgotten something you wanted me to do?"

Sesshoumaru thought for a minute. "I took the trash out and you drove your car into the car wash last week when we had that warm day. No, I can't think of anything."

Inuyasha sighed and sat down on the couch. "I know there's something I'm forgetting," he muttered.

"Speaking of forgetting, what do you want for your birthday? It's almost the middle of February. I've only got two months if you want something special."

Inuyasha's head came up and his eyes widened. "Birthday!"

"Yes... The day you were born?" Sesshoumaru said sarcastically. "I'm sure you don't remember it, but Mom does."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "No. Kagome's birthday is today." He stood up. "What kind of cake does she like?"

Sesshoumaru stared at him. "You're going to make her a cake?" He pressed a hand to his heart. "Oh, my poor kitchen."

Inuyasha snorted as he walked to the phone. "Very funny." He dialed Kagome and Rin's room number and waited.

"Hello?"

Inuyasha relaxed. "Hi, Rin. Is Kagome there?"

"You just missed her." Rin glanced over at Kagome's empty side of the room. "She went down to the vending machine for a soda."

"Okay. It is her birthday today, right?"

"Right."

Inuyasha looked at the clock. "Can you keep her in her room around eight thirty, maybe nine o'clock?"

"Sure. Why?"

"It's a surprise."

Rin smiled. "Okay. Kagome doesn't go out of the room."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They both hung up their phones and Inuyasha went into the kitchen. Pans, cake mix, other ingredients... His mind ran like a very small hamster on a large metal wheel.

Despite what Sess said, Inuyasha was a decent cook. But with a brother like Sesshoumaru who actually loved cooking, who was he to cook for himself?

While the cake was in the oven, Inuyasha called Sango. "I already wished her happy birthday," Sango told him. "What do you have planned?"

"I'm baking a cake. It should be done in about forty minutes. Another half hour to cool and put icing on it... I could be over to Kagome's dorm around 9:10?"

Sango nodded. "Okay. I'll be in the lobby."

The next call was to Shippo. He was overjoyed at the thought of cake and promised to be there.

By the time those two phone calls were through and Inuyasha had cleaned up the bowl, the cake was done. He found the icing and Sesshoumaru watched as he tipped the first cake out of the pan. After the icing was applied, the second cake was placed right on top of the first without a crack.

Sess kindly found him a tupperware container for it and helped him shift the cake into it. As Inuyasha ran off with the treat, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I cannot figure out if they're to be together or not. My brother actually ventured into the kitchen..." He shrugged and went back to his chair. "They're friends now at least."

Sango stood up as Inuyasha walked in. "Finally," she said. "How'd the cake turn out?"

"I baked it so it's perfect," he said haughtily. "What's that?"

She glanced down at the bag. "I didn't have time to wrap anything, but it's a gift certificate for Walmart."

Shippo held up his prize. "And the lady at the gift shop downtown said she'd probably like this."

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked.

Sango rolled her eyes. "It's hand lotion. What kind, Shippo?"

He shrugged and looked at the label. "It says rose. Smells all right."

Inuyasha nodded and they went up the stairs. Shippo knocked on the door and they waited for it to open.

"I swear, if this is another insincere present from a guy who wants a date with the Source I will hex them into the next century," Kagome warned from the other side of the door.

"How about three friends with sincere presents?" Sango asked.

Kagome opened the door and stood aside. "Those are always welcome. Please enter."

Rin was sitting at her computer desk and pointed at her bed when Inuyasha looked around for a place to sit the cake. Kagome thanked everyone for their presents and looked greedily at the cake. Rin laughed and Inuyasha began carving slices for everyone.

Kagome put the first bite in her mouth and chewed. She swallowed the morsel and stared at Inuyasha. "If you bake this well, why do you let Sess cook all the time?"

"One, that's a cake mix. Two, he loves cooking. Three, I hate cleaning up the kitchen."

"Good points," Kagome conceded. She ate her slice of cake and sighed. "The one bad point about my birthday is that it's so close to Valentine's Day."

"What's wrong with Valentine's Day?" Rin asked immediately.

"Don't touch anything that comes into this room especially on that day," Sango warned.

Kagome nodded. "Maybe I should hide out at your house." Rin looked confused so Kagome explained. "There will be dozens of roses, mixed bouquets, candy, cookies, gifts, love notes, beautiful cards, etc. on Monday. Don't accept anything anyone tries to hand you. Don't be afraid to say no to anyone who wants you to bring me something. It could be just a present, but it there could be love potions in the candy. Scents to do weird things to my brain in the roses. Enchantments on practically everything."

She threw up her hands. "I'm going to be wearing my stone all day just so it's safe to eat anything."

Kagome sounded so disgusted. Rin grimaced. "That bad?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "Last year I filled up... two trash bags before dinner."

Inuyasha laughed. "Remember what you found in your bed last year?" he said pointedly.

Kagome groaned. "How could I forget? I'm trying not to scare her."

Sango nearly choked on her cake. "I forgot that!"

"What?" Shippo and Rin said at the same time.

"Inuyasha walked me home from the Special. I got up here and found someone in my bed."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Tell them the whole story."

Kagome grabbed a pillow and hid her face in it. "But it's embarrassing!" she wailed.

"All right." Inuyasha looked at the two of them. "Know what an incubus is? A male sex demon? Someone sent Kagome one last year."

Shippo burst out laughing and Rin wrinkled her nose. "Eww."

"Tell me about it. I didn't even know what one was! Melly had to banish it. Who am I supposed to ask now?"

"Go find Miroku," Inuyasha advised. "He's pretty cool about that sort of thing."

"Good idea," Kagome said. "I'll go see if I can find him on Monday."

He had early morning hours so Kagome stopped by then. "Hello, Kagome," he greeted.

She nodded. "Hi. Can I come in?" He gestured and she sat down. "I've got a problem, but it isn't with class."

"Go on," he said, picking up his coffee cup.

She paused. "It's Valentine's Day. I can handle the cards and flowers and things, but... Last year..." Kagome blushed. "This is embarrassing. I, um, had someone send me an incubus."

Miroku coughed, but managed not to spill his coffee. "Ah," he said delicately.

"I have something keeping out malicious stuff, but my last roommate told me that the incubus wasn't malicious. I don't know how to get rid of one on my own yet."

He shook his head. "You shouldn't. Well. I could put a ward on your room for today screening out most things of that nature. If you'd like, I could come up to your dorm and check for anything out of the ordinary before I leave for home today."

Kagome sighed. "That would be wonderful."

Rin met Kagome in the cafeteria at four. "So what did he say?" she asked as they picked up their trays.

"He put a ward on the room and he's going to come check it tonight." Kagome picked up a sandwich to put on her tray.

"Okay. Have you been back to the room?"

Kagome shook her head. "I went with him so he could put a ward on it, then grabbed my backpack. I've been in the library for most of the day." She shrugged. "Studying different spells, making progress on the crocheting, stuff."

Rin dished up some of the macaroni salad for her dinner and they both found a few other things. "So we'll go back to the room and see if there's anything there."

"Oh, there will be."

Rin stared at Kagome's bed and at the floor. "How did you walk last year?"

Kagome picked her way through the various vases and bouquets on the floor. "Very carefully." She found her gloves and the trash bags. The flowers all went inside and she began scooping the notes in as well.

"How does the bag hold that much?" Rin asked curiously. "I mean, you're dumping the whole thing in, vase and all."

"Magic trash bags. These hold practically anything I want them to and they won't contaminate the other trash. I could put a small elephant in here and it wouldn't make any difference." Kagome paused as she looked at one of the cards. "Pretty picture." Shrugging, she tossed it in with the rest.

"Kagome?" Miroku knocked on the door. "I'm going home now." His eyes widened at the stuff that was on her bed. "Is that all?" he asked shocked.

She pointed wordlessly to the full trash bag. "That one has the flowers in it." She shook out another trash bag and piled the rest of the cards inside. Kagome turned to the pile of candy boxes.

"This isn't right," Miroku said, scowling.

Another three rose bouquets popped into place and ten more letters fluttered down. Kagome sighed and put them in the trash, too. "They're not malicious." Rin sat on her bed and stared at it all.

"No student should have this much to deal with."

"Can you fix it?" Kagome asked. "It's their choice to ask me out and send me stuff."

"But you just throw it away."

"They don't understand that. Everyone seems to think I'm playing hard to get or something." Kagome sighed. "So I go through about a bag of trash every two to three days. It's only this bad on Valentine's Day."

Rin raised her voice. "Your birthday isn't too good, either."

Kagome nodded. "And when I leave to go home in May. I'll get tons of presents then. Of course, they all go to Goodwill. Christmas, too."

Miroku sighed. "There isn't anything in here, Kagome, and I'll be watching the ward. If anyone attempts to send you anything like last year, I'll wake up immediately. Good night." He nodded to them and left the room, muttering about ungracious students.


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer and Request: This story is not mine, I am only sharing it. It was written by Moonsilver, and is unedited. Also, please at least look at my own stories, just click on my name to get to my profile and check out what I've written.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 40

Guests

Kagome looked at her calendar. "Another day closer to vacation."

Rin nodded. It was only a week away. She sighed.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked.

"It seems like we just got here." Rin glanced at the calendar, too. "Halls opened on January 17th and we have to go home on February 19th."

Kagome sat down on her bed. "It seemed strange to me, too. We'll come back on the last day of February and leave again on April 16th. It's a lot of travel for two breaks." She smiled. "Last year, I worked out that I was going to go home in a month anyway and Sango let me stay at her house."

Kagome frowned. "Actually, it makes sense to do it that way. If we stayed here now, we'd go home in April without feeling guilty. Plus, in April we could bring back some lighter clothes."

"Hm..." Rin glanced at the phone. "You've got to go eight hours to get home and I've got a ten hour trip. We've both got to take a plane or have someone drive to pick us up."

Kagome shrugged. "Can't hurt to ask." She picked up the phone and waited until Sango answered. "Hi."

"Hi, Kagome," Sango said.

"Rin and I are talking about vacation," Kagome began.

Sango grinned. "Feeling guilty again?"

Kagome laughed. "Yes!"

Sango twisted the cord in her fingers. "So you're fishing for an invitation?"

"Two invitations," Kagome corrected.

Sango chuckled. "Let me ask Mom and see what she thinks. Call you back in twenty minutes?" Kagome said that was fine and they waited.

"Will your parents have a problem with you staying?" Kagome asked Rin.

The other girl shrugged. "I don't know. I've never asked before. I mean, I've stayed at other people's houses, but not for a week."

"My mom didn't have a problem with it. She tried to offer Kirara the money for what I was eating, but she wouldn't take it. Just point out that you're staying with two friends, you won't have to spend the money to go home, and you'll be fine."

The phone rang and Kagome picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kagome," Kirara's warm voice said. "If you and Rin want an invitation, you've got one."

Kagome smiled and gave Rin a thumbs up. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble, dear. I'm going to give the phone to Sango. Bye!"

There were the rustling sounds of a phone being passed and Sango came on the line. "See? I didn't think it would be a problem."

"You've got one of the best moms around," Kagome told her.

"Don't I know it. Have you called your mom yet?"

"Nope. I thought I'd know that I had an invitation first."

"Okay. If you can vacation here, let me know." The girls made their goodbyes and called their two families. Rin's mother wanted Sango's number so they could talk for a few minutes, but Rin got her permission in the end.

On their first night together, Sango smirked at Kagome. "Now you used the excuse that we didn't have enough people last time. There are three of us now. That's more than enough."

Kagome looked at her blankly for a few minutes and then began shaking her head. "No way."

"What?" Rin asked.

"Truth or Dare," Sango said wickedly. "I'll go first. Rin, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What was your real reaction to seeing Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Shippo as youkai?"

Rin sat back. "What species are they, how much can I learn, how many species are there... Need I go on?"

Sango sighed. "And my reaction was, 'whoa'. Your turn, Rin."

Rin turned to Kagome. "Are you sure you don't have any feelings for Inuyasha?"

Kagome groaned. "Why does everyone think something's going on between us?"

Sango leaned her cheek on her hand. "I don't know. Ask me when it's your turn."

"My feelings for Inuyasha are purely platonic." Kagome asked Sango her question.

"Well. You spend a lot of time together. You treat his house as your own."

Kagome interrupted her. "We all do that!"

"I ask before I open the refrigerator or wait until I'm invited." Sango pointed at Kagome. "You go over, poke in the fridge, and then go do what you want."

"You also," Sango continued, "get close to Inuyasha."

"What?" Kagome shrieked.

"I've seen you be no less than a couple inches apart when studying. You don't even notice anymore."

Rin nodded. "It's true."

"Hey!" Kagome turned a pleading look on her roomie.

"You're close, you spend time together, you study together, eat together, call each other for homework advice..." Sango shrugged. "The only difference between how close you are as friends and dating is kissing and stuff."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "No. Even if at one time I thought he was cute-"

Sango pounced on the comment. "You think he's cute?"

She gave her a withering stare. "You don't?"

Sango shook her head. "Uh-uh. We were talking about you, not me."

"Rats."

"Good try."

Kagome's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I think he's cute. But I don't want anything more than friends. It's like acknowledging that someone else dresses really nice. Or that another girl is really pretty. You don't want them, do you?"

Sango shook her head. "Don't swing that way. But you're a girl... that likes guys... and you just admitted that your best guy friend is cute."

"So?"

Sango shared a glance with Rin. "It means that we abandon this topic and go find something to munch on." Rin got to her feet and led the charge into the kitchen with Sango.

Kagome shook her head. "Why do they both want to pair me with Inuyasha?" she muttered. "Just because we hang out together? Geez."

"Kagome, do you want some of these peanut butter cookies or not?" Sango called.

"If you eat them all, I'll send some of my admirers your way!" Kagome teased.

"Ack! Not that!" Sango pressed a hand to her throat. "Then get down here!


	41. Chapter 41

**As an apology for not posting yesterday -and for missing several days in the last week or two- I bring you a four chapter update to Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 41

And That is Why...

"Ah-choo!"

"Bless you," Kagome said automatically.

Rin smiled at her. "Thank you. I guess I'm catching a cold."

Kagome opened her eyes on Tuesday morning. She crawled out of bed and dragged on her clothes. Rin must have given me her cold, she thought. I have such a headache and my throat's sore...

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nine o'clock already. She sat in front of her computer and checked her email. That took a few minutes. She got up from the chair and went to find some medicine. Tylenol should work...

Rin woke up next and went about her day. I must have slept wrong, she thought idly. My back hurts. She coughed and trudged off to Shampoo's Appreciation of Early American Movies class.

On Wednesday morning, Rin was up and gone by the time Kagome woke up. She laid in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling.

My back hurts. Scratch that, my whole body aches. Kagome coughed for a few seconds and then laid still again. I'm coughing, I ache, my headache is beginning to really bother me...

Kagome pushed the blankets back and walked to the bureau. By the time she got back into bed, she was shivering.

This is not normal, she thought. She hit the button on the thermometer and waited for it to beep. When it did, she glanced down at it. Her eyes widened. 101.4?

"Time to get dressed and go see the doctor," she said aloud.

Ten minutes later, she walked back up the stairs. She was holding a few papers. The top one was a checklist. Sore throat, headache, chills, fever, aches, and a loss of appetite.

Kagome groaned. I can't tell Melly I've got the flu! She'd never let me live it down. She sat down on her bed and covered up. "I love the prescription, though," Kagome said out loud. "Go back to bed, take Tylenol, and rest."

Rin walked back into their room shortly after ten thirty. Kagome waved at her from bed. Rin looked confused. "Didn't feel like getting up this morning?"

"Oh, I got up," Kagome said hoarsely. "Then the nice receptionist told me to go back to bed. Have you got a thermometer?" Rin nodded. "Go check your temperature."

Rin shrugged and fetched her thermometer. It beeped and she pulled it out of her mouth. "100.7?"

Kagome grinned at her. "Welcome to the club. I woke up with one over a hundred and one. The receptionist downstairs in the health center handed me that checklist." She pointed.

Rin picked it up. "Fever, yes. Aches, yes. Sore throat, headache, coughing, yes, yes, yes." She looked over at Kagome. "And I haven't felt like eating much for days."

"Congratulations, we've both got the flu," Kagome told her. "Take Tylenol and we'll break out the Nyquil Cold/Flu tonight. Oh, and we've got to drink fluids." She looked over at the refrigerator. "Once I get warm, I'll go buy some juice."

Rin sat down at her computer and booted it up. She did a few minutes of research on flu and what to do about it. "Rest, drink fluids, and eat chicken soup."

"Why chicken soup?"

"Something about sodium," Rin said with a shrug. "Who's had a flu shot?"

"Sango gets one and Inuyasha." Kagome grimaced. "I absolutely hate the things, but I'll have to get one next year."

"Me, too," Rin said with a sniffle. "At least I've only got one class tomorrow. Aoshi's meditation."

Kagome nodded. "Duo's class in the morning. I'll be back in bed right after that."

Thursday dawned. Kagome got up at seven and checked her temperature. 101.9. She looked out the window and shivered. There was snow on the ground and the wind was blowing. It was supposed to be really cold outside today.

She doubled over with a coughing fit. Shaking her head, she crawled back in bed. Missing one day would not hurt her.

Rin slept in until nine and made the same decision as Kagome.

Knock, knock!

Kagome opened her eyes slowly and looked at the door. "Come in," she called.

"I can't," Inuyasha said on the other side. "The door is locked."

Kagome groaned, but got out from under her warm covers and padded over to the door in her bare feet. She opened the door and stood there as Inuyasha looked her over. "You look like you just rose from the grave," he said bluntly.

"Thank you so much," she replied sarcasm dripping from every word.

"The open door is creating a draft," Rin said unhappily.

Inuyasha closed the door and Kagome went right back to bed. "What's wrong?"

"Flu," Rin said before a coughing fit attacked her.

"Oh," Inuyasha said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well... Do you need anything?"

Kagome thought for a minute. "We've been sick for... How many days, Rin?"

The other girl shrugged. "It's Thursday. I've been taking Nyquil and Tylenol since Monday."

"And I've been doing that since Tuesday." Kagome glanced at her computer desk which was where the medicines were. "I've got enough Tylenol, but I've only got three more doses of Nyquil left."

Between them, Rin and Kagome cobbled together a list including Dayquil, Nyquil, apple juice, orange juice, more tissues, and throat drops. Inuyasha took the money they offered and said he'd be back in a little while with the stuff.

He came back with more than that.

Inuyasha walked in with two bags of stuff for them. He was closely followed by Kirara. She looked down at both the sick girls and raised an eyebrow. "Temperatures?"

Kagome and Rin found their thermometers. It was only quarter to eleven and already their temperatures were up to 101. What would they be like at night?

Kirara accepted their replies of temperature and shook her head. "What classes do you have?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't have another class until Tuesday."

"Two on Monday, one late on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, another on Thursday," Rin rattled off.

Kirara nodded. "That settles it. I've got two spare bedrooms."

"Oh, but-" Kagome started to object.

"Sango and I have both had our shots and I'm not leaving you in here." Kirara looked at the closets. She opened Kagome's and found her duffel bag at the bottom. "What do you want to take with you, Kagome?"

She surrendered to the inevitable and pointed out a few pairs of jeans and shirts. Rin did the same when it was her turn. On top of those clothes, Kirara packed their spare pajamas and the books they were reading.

Kirara shooed Inuyasha out while the girls were dressing and made sure they were bundled into their coats before leading them out to the car. Inuyasha hopped into the front passenger seat looking very smug.

They reached Kirara's house and she pointed them in the direction of the spare bedrooms. "Now go to sleep," she said softly. "If you feel like getting up, bundle yourselves into some blankets and sit on the couch."

She glanced at Inuyasha. "Drop those off in the living room and I'll take care of them later." He nodded and did as she said. "I've got to go back to work, but I'm sure someone will be over to check in on you."

She bustled out of the house and Inuyasha came back to check on them. He fetched them glasses of juice and left.

Kagome and Rin slept most of the day, but by four o'clock, they had had enough. Rin came to see if Kagome was awake. Finding that she was, they both went downstairs to find something to watch on television.

Sango came over at four thirty and found them laughing at the screen. "Well," she said. "You look like you're having fun. Did you want something to eat?"

Kagome raised her glass of apple juice. "I'm not hungry, but I'm drinking."

Sango shook her head, made sure they were comfortable, and left to work.

Inuyasha was in and out during the day, bringing things Sesshoumaru had made for them. Sango checked on them as often as she had a break from work and class. Sesshoumaru came in the evenings and diagnosed the same things, rest, fluids, and more rest. Kirara clucked over them like they were her own. Shippo even made a few appearances with movies that they'd requested.

On Sunday, Inuyasha's birthday party was held at Sango's house. They had cake and ice cream and lots of presents. Kagome skipped her Tuesday class and Rin struggled with the notion of missing her two Monday classes. She missed her movie class on Tuesday, but felt well enough to go to her early morning Mythological Creatures class on Wednesday. Kagome got out of bed on Thursday to go to her psychology class.

They were well enough by Friday to move back into the dorm. And Kagome's brain had finally cleared enough to ask Inuyasha a very important question.

"Why did you go get Kirara?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Because you looked like death warmed over." He put down his pencil. "Sess's house isn't big enough to take both you and Rin. So I told Kirara you both had the flu and she marched right over."

Kagome nodded. It had been nice. She and Rin hadn't really gotten out of their flannel pajamas the entire time. "Thank you."

Inuyasha grumbled, but Kagome was sure she had heard a "You're welcome," in there somewhere.


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Moonsilver, and I have not made any edits to it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 42

The End of the Second Year

Kagome stared at the ceiling. The year was almost over, except for her psychology final on Tuesday. Rin had to stay until Thursday for her last final and Shippo had already left.

Since she had recovered from her cold, not much had happened. The notes and flowers kept coming and she kept hauling the trash bags out of her room. Classes continued as normal and she got her notes from people in class.

Midterms had came and went. Course selections had been made. To simplify the process, everyone had copies of their schedule made and passed out. So Kagome had Rin's, Shippo's, Sango's, and Inuyasha's. Rin and Kagome had requested to be roomed together again next year. They were friends, they did well together, and they didn't want to break in another roomie. Rin had chuckled over Kagome explaining to another person the whole Source of Magic thing. "It was confusing enough to me," she had said.

Of course, there had been the whole Spring Dance fiasco. Tons of invitations from all over campus had appeared for her. She had refused all of them.

Kagome angrily shoved the newest batch of invitations into the trash bag. "What is it with this people? After being this annoying, they actually think I'd want to go to a dance with them? Oh, and be rushed off my feet for dance after dance. I'd have to wonder about every glass of punch and sensory spells and what exactly he was muttering under his breath..."

Rin watched in fascination. "It's really bothering you that much?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to go?" Rin asked.

Kagome sat down on her bed. "No. It would be just like I said. I don't want to go with anyone and I don't want to go by myself. The Halloween dance was okay because I hung around with you and everyone. I went to see the costumes and eat cookies, not to dance."

Rin sighed sympathetically. "Well, they'll eventually get the hint."

"I've been here two years and I've refused everything. I don't think they're going to grow a brain over the summer," Kagome said dryly. "I'm going to stay in here on Saturday and play solitaire. Or maybe I'll brush up on protective spells."

That Saturday, Inuyasha casually asked, "Hey, Kagome? Are you going to the dance tonight?"

Kagome stared at him in horror for a moment. He's...what?

Inuyasha glanced at her and choked. "If you think that for one minute, I'm asking you to go with me to the dance... Kagome breathed a deep sigh of relief. "No, I was asking if anyone had plans for tonight."

"I've got to work until nine at least," Sango said. "What do you have in mind?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Everyone's so enthralled with the dance and I'm not. I thought that a movie night would be good. Stay up until early morning and sack out in the living room?"

Kagome smiled. "I'm game."

"Me, too," Shippo said. Rin nodded her agreement.

Sango thought for a minute. "Let me ask Mom about it." She went to the kitchen, placed her call, and when she came back, she verified that she'd have to work until nine. After that, most of the dinner crowd went home.

Sango went right home after that announcement, but the rest of the group finished their homework. After they were done, Shippo, Rin, and Kagome went back to their rooms for clothes, blankets, pillows, and other necessities. Rin and Kagome took their showers early that evening and went back to Inuyasha's.

Sesshoumaru was home by this time and preparing dinner for five instead of two. After dinner, he pointed out that both cookie jars were full. Kagome's favorite was the one of the old-fashioned cookie jar, but Inuyasha always went for the Bugs Bunny one.

They started I, Robot at about seven o'clock. They called a break to stretch and raid the kitchen for more sodas, juice, and snacks. Sango walked in right as the previews were playing. Shippo was on the couch while Rin and Kagome had camped out on the floor. Sesshoumaru had claimed his chair and Inuyasha was on the loveseat.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder as the door opened. "Come in. Want a patch of floor?" Sango laughed and spread out her blanket.

Spiderman ended and they started Spiderman 2. Rin began nodding off. She was asleep twenty minutes into the movie. Shippo fell asleep in the middle.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the clock after Spiderman 2 was over. It was one o'clock in the morning. Shippo was fine on the couch, but his other guest...

He rose from his chair and walked over to Rin. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Rin?" She stirred and looked at him blearily. "There's a guest bedroom upstairs." She nodded and tried to get to her feet.

She couldn't steady herself, which is a common occurrence when you've stayed up late and only had an hour and a half of sleep. Sesshoumaru chuckled and picked her up. He strode up the stairs and put her down right beside the bed. "Okay?" he asked. She nodded. He watched from the doorway as she got into bed and rolled over.

Time for bed, he thought yawning.

Sango stayed awake until they started watching Miss Congeniality, but fell asleep somewhere after the first half hour.

When they reached the end of the movie, Inuyasha and Kagome looked around them. Sango had taken over the loveseat. Shippo was snoring lightly on the couch. Sesshoumaru had his bedroom door closed. They knew that Rin had gone up to the spare bedroom.

"Well," Inuyasha said softly. "What now?"

Kagome grinned at him. "It's two thirty in the morning. Are you tired?"

"No."

Kagome snorted. "Then neither am I."

Inuyasha got up and plucked a dvd from the shelf. "Labyrinth?" Kagome nodded and he put it in the player. They quoted lines back and forth with Inuyasha being Jareth and Kagome playing Sarah.

"You had more lines, but mine were better," Inuyasha bragged when the movie ended.

"Yeah, right. I had the 'It's a piece of cake' line."

"Sarah, I have been generous till now and I can be cruel."

"The whole 'ello business."

"You remind me of the babe."

Kagome yawned and it almost split her head open. "Tired now?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded sheepishly.

She looked around and said, "At least there's a good patch of floor to sleep on."

"Nah, you're sleeping upstairs."

Kagome did a double take. "What?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "If I go upstairs and sleep in my bed, I'm going to feel guilty. So you're taking my bed."

"You could sleep on the floor, too," she said generously. He huffed and pointed at the stairs. She shrugged and began walking.

She settled herself into his bed and Inuyasha found his extra blankets. He bedded down on the floor. He realized something was wrong and opened his mouth to ask for his pillow.

Whap!

Kagome giggled. "That's for making me sleep here."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm such a scoundrel for letting the girl have the bed. You could call it being chivalrous."

"You're giving up a nice soft bed like this to me? I'd call it lunacy. Good night, Doc Boy."

"Don't call me Doc Boy!"

They both laughed at themselves and Kagome said seriously, "Thank you, Inuyasha. Good night."

"Hmph. Good morning, but the sentiment is appreciated. Good night, Kagome."

"Inuyasha, do you know where- Oh, there you are, Kagome. I realize that you must not be well rested, but I'm starting lunch."

Kagome blinked her eyes open. "Lunch?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru said. "It's eleven o'clock. When did you go to sleep?"

"After four," Inuyasha said from the floor.

"Ah, seven hours. Not as bad as I had thought. Shippo, Sango, and Rin have all changed and had their showers. I've started chicken nuggets and french fries for everyone."

"Sounds good," Kagome said, becoming more and more awake. "Inuyasha, where are my clothes?"

Inuyasha froze. "How would I know where your clothes are?"

"They're downstairs with your blankets. If you'll wait in the bathroom, I'll bring them up." Sesshoumaru left. Inuyasha chose his clothes from the closet and Kagome got dressed in the bathroom.

Kagome rolled off the bed and found their schedules. She went back to bed and spread them out. Her schedule was filled with sociology of the family, an English class on manga, a library class on library materials for the young adult, and her mythological creatures class.

From everyone else's schedules, they were pretty full next semester. Sango and Rin were in her manga class and she was going to be taking mythological creatures with Inuyasha.

This year had changed so much in her life. She had gained two new friends, Shippo and Rin. She knew how to protect herself better now thanks to her extra studying in the mage university's library. She could protect herself and her dorm room.

She remembered the enchanted glass with a roll of the eyes. She'd been so embarrassed that she'd looked at Inuyasha like that. Then Sango and Rin had to ask if she liked him over spring vacation. It was true that they were friends, but they weren't that way. He was just a friend and one of the few guys that didn't look at her like she was a very juicy steak.

"Hey, Kagome?"

She shook herself out of her daydreaming. "Yeah?"

Sango gestured at the room. "You asked me to come over and help you pack. You leave tomorrow, remember?"

Kagome got off the bed and walked to her closet. "Take my final and my parents will be here at ten. Pack the car, go have some lunch, and go home." She looked into the depths of her closet and grimaced. "What do you think are the chances of me talking to the college into letting me have this room next year and just leave it all here?"

"About the same chances as the guys leaving you alone."

"I was afraid of that."


	43. Chapter 43

**Shameless self-advertising: Please be sure to look at my author profile and see if any of my own stories catch your eye. I tend to write Romance-Hurt/Comfort-Family, focusing on emotional scenes and character dialogue.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 43

This Summer's Problem

Sango had just finished loading the dishwasher when the bell chimed again. It was ten o'clock and the Special was mostly empty. Kaede was cleaning up the kitchen because at this late at night the majority of people just wanted a soda refill.

She walked out of the kitchen to greet the customer. "Good evening," she said approaching the table. "May I get you a drink?"

"Yes, please," Miroku said pleasantly. "A Sprite, if you wouldn't mind."

Sango fetched it and brought it back. "May I take your order?"

"I'd like a club sandwich."

Sango wrote it down. "It comes with a choice of potato chips or french fries."

"Potato chips, please."

"All right. I'll be right back with that."

Miroku shook his head. "No rush."

Ten minutes later, Sango came back with his sandwich. Kaede had a problem with finding a good tomato and she apologized.

"It's fine," Miroku said smiling. "Thank you."

Sango went back into the kitchen to help Kaede with the dishwasher again. Her second stop was upstairs to see if anyone needed anything. No one did, so she went downstairs to check on Miroku again. He was the only one left in the downstairs dining area.

Soon the students filtered out and only Miroku was seated. Sango cleaned up with Kaede and Kirara in the kitchen, but she was sent to clean the tables upstairs. When those were finished, she wiped down the ones on the ground level.

Miroku was still eating one of the quarters. "Am I preventing you from leaving?"

Sango shook her head. "No. We'll be cleaning up for another half hour yet. Take your time."

"I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach," Miroku admitted. "Could I have a takeout box?"

Sango nodded and fetched one. He accepted it from her with a long glance at her face. "You have very pretty eyes," he said softly.

She froze. "Sir, you're a professor."

Miroku shook his head. "Technically, yes, but I'm not teaching this summer. Are you attending classes?"

"No."

"Then there's nothing wrong with me asking you on a date. When do you have a few hours available?"

Sango blinked. "I didn't say yes."

Miroku smiled. "I'm sorry. I'd like some company when I go to the movies next. Would you care to join me?"

He's a professor, she thought. You don't date professors because everyone thinks you're sleeping together and that's why you're getting good grades. But I'm not studying anything right now... And he's really good-looking and I haven't had a date since I moved here.

"Sure," she said cautiously. "I'll have tomorrow off."

"Sounds wonderful. Is there anything playing that you'd like to see?" She nodded. "Then we'll go see that." He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket. "When you find out what time the movie is, call me and I'll come pick you up."

He picked up his box and nodded to her. "Thank you, Sango. Good night." He walked out the front door and Sango blinked.

She walked into the kitchen and stood there in a daze. "I've got a date tomorrow night."

By the beginning of June, she and Miroku had been out five times. By July, she knew he kissed well. August came and she began to worry. She really liked Miroku. But he was a professor and she was a student. The two didn't go together well. At this college it was an unwritten rule but strongly discouraged. The whole problem with these relationships was how could you tell if it was truly consensual? If a professor asked a student out with the threat of 'date me or I'll fail you', what were you supposed to do? If you needed the class, you needed the grade. Would anyone believe you?

Sango ground her teeth. But it is consensual, she thought. I'm not taking any classes from him, so what does it matter?

She had mentioned her worries to Miroku, but he had only smiled at her and told her not to worry so much.

The phone rang so she answered it. "Hi, is Sango home?"

"Yes. Hi, Kagome."

"Hi! I wanted to let you know that I'll be back on Tuesday and classes start on Wednesday. Rin and I are rooming together again. I'm going to be there at eight o'clock on Monday, but moving in on Tuesday. Rin's going to to show up at four in the afternoon and we'll be unpacking all day long." Kagome gave her the room number and the phone number for it 'in case you want to call'. They chattered on for a few more minutes about Kagome getting her refrigerator from Inuyasha and stocking it back up.

Sango said good-bye and hung up after she heard Kagome repeat the farewell. She sighed. "I'll just go talk to Kagome about this. Maybe she'll have a good answer."


	44. Chapter 44

**I so glad all of you are enjoying this story like I did. I feel Moonsilver would be touched and honored all of you are reading and enjoying their work.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 44

The First Day of the Third Year

Kagome and her parents unloaded all of her stuff and helped her put it away. Having done this a few times, her parents made sure she was settled into her room, reminded her about her pocket money and bank account, and said they would see her that Thanksgiving.

Once they were gone, Kagome grinned. Another whole year to myself, she thought happily. Let's see... Unpacking is done. Rin will be here at four. We'll probably manage to get all of her stuff unpacked by five and spend the next couple hours catching up.

But before that happens...

Kagome hit the 'call' button on her phone and sighed with relief when she heard the dial tone. She dialed the number and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hi!"

"You're back."

Kagome snorted. "Don't sound so enthused. I can't take it."

"I think I can work with that. When do you want your refrigerator?"

Kagome smiled. "How did you know I was going to ask?"

"Heh. I've developed my psychic powers over the summer. They're also telling me that you want a ride to the grocery store."

"Wow! I'm impressed."

"I'll forego the prediction of what color underwear you've got on."

Kagome shook her head. "Now you're just being a pervert."

"Nah. I'll leave that to the other guys on campus. Are you unpacked?"

"Yup. Unpacked and ready for my refrigerator. There's a lot of people around, though. You might have a problem getting it up the stairs. It's heavy and people will be in the way. Did you want to wait?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Kagome, I can juggle that size refrigerator. Hauling it up the stairs and pausing to wait for people isn't a big deal. I can bring it over now and then drive you to the store."

Kagome chuckled. "If you keep bragging about your strength like that, I'll ask you to carry the groceries, too."

"My pleasure, damsel in distress. See you in a few minutes."

Inuyasha had three plastic bags over his left arm and a twelve-pack of Sunkist in his right hand. Kagome was carrying a twelve-pack of Pepsi and another bag of groceries. "Are you sure-" Kagome began.

He hmphed at her. "I can carry it," he told her again.

They eventually got to her room through the swarm of people and deposited everything on the floor. Kagome took the sodas over to the refrigerator at the end of the bookshelf divider and began stacking them inside. Inuyasha unloaded the snacks on her bed. "Where do you want these?"

"Top shelf, if you don't mind," Kagome told him. Inuyasha nodded and put the boxes away. Graham crackers, snack cakes, food for midnight munchies.

When they were done with that, Inuyasha and Kagome went over to Sesshoumaru's because she'd been missing his food all summer. After lunch, they settled in to watch a movie and talk about the summer.

Kagome was back by the time Rin arrived and helped her unpack. They talked about what had happened since they met last.

Eventually the time got to be short and they went to bed.

Rin had a class the next morning at ten o'clock, so she was up early. Kagome got up when she felt like it and checked out the schedules of her friends. Rin had Anthropology at ten and she'd be back after twelve thirty. Inuyasha could go to a Battle Magic class today, but that was up to him. Shippo had a class called Experiences from twelve thirty to three.

Kagome got dressed and went for a walk. She didn't have any classes today. In fact, she had one class on Monday, one on Thursday, and one on Tuesday. That was it this semester.

So she wandered downtown to browse in 'A Book in Bloom."

Sango knocked on Kagome's door that afternoon. Kagome pulled the door open, waving a miniature chocolate doughnut. "Come in!" Upon seeing each other for the first time in months, they did the classic girl thing and hugged.

"I have a problem," Sango began after they separated.

"Chocolate doughnuts can fix most things," Kagome proclaimed. "Math homework vs. chocolate donuts. Math begone! Even some demons will retreat at the sight of chocolate donuts, I think..."

"Miroku and I have been dating this summer while you were gone. He's a professor, I'm a student, and our relationship is forbidden by the university."

Kagome sat down on her bed with a thump. "And there are a few things chocolate donuts can't fix," she pronounced solemnly. "Sit down and tell me all about it."

Sango sat on the end of Kagome's bed. "He asked me out the week after you left. We've dated the whole summer."

She shifted uncomfortably. "It's not really forbidden, but heavily discouraged. How do you know that the professor isn't forcing the student to date them? Everyone will question your grades. That sort of thing."

"So... How do you feel about him?" Kagome asked.

Sango looked up at her. "I think I'm in love with him. But this whole problem is producing so much guilt...!"

Kagome nodded. "Let me see if I've got this. You and Miroku have a relationship. You're guilty over this relationship."

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

Sango sighed. "I don't know. I want to keep dating him, but he'll have to declare it to the university soon. Everyone will know and I'm so upset about the whole thing."

"What does Miroku say?"

"Him?" Sango snorted. "Don't worry about it, Sango. It'll be fine, Sango."

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't sound like he's taking it seriously." She munched on another doughnut. "You want the relationship to go on, but you feel really guilty and upset about it."

"I should break up with him."

Kagome blinked at her. "Uh... Sure, if that's what you want."

"What else can I do? I can't get over what I feel and that will poison the whole relationship. I can't quit college and neither can he." Sango sagged. "Hand me a few of those doughnuts, Kagome. They do get rid of broken hearts, right?"

"Hey, you said you thought you were in love with him!"  
>"Chocolate is good in any circumstance."<p>

"That's true."

Miroku entered the restaurant promptly at eight o'clock. They had a standing date where Sango would take a half hour off and eat a snack with him.

Tonight was different. She saw him and led him out in back of the restaurant. "Miroku," she began slowly. "I can't be with you anymore."

Miroku froze. "Any specific reason?"

Sango swallowed hard. "You and I aren't supposed to be together."

"This is referring to the fact that you're a student and I'm a professor?"

Sango nodded. "I'm sorry, but I'm really upset over the whole thing and-"

Miroku held up a hand. "You're breaking up with me because our roles are conflicting? Nothing else?"

She shook her head. "No. Everything else has been great."

Miroku smiled. "Then I have something to tell you. When I started teaching here, I only had a Master's degree. So one of the conditions of my being hired was that I would get a doctorate within 5-10 years. I had to start it within five and finish within ten."

"One of the professors was on a trip all summer and he only got back today. I needed the last signature on my form." He looked at her expectantly.

Sango blinked. "What does that mean? What form?"

"My application form." Miroku took pity on her and explained. "I had to have my form signed so I could start taking classes for my doctorate. I'll be attending full-time so I can finish in two years."

"So..." he said. "You're a student and I'm a student. We're fine, right?"

Sango processed this. Yes, the only reason she'd wanted to break up with him was the guilt over having a professor/student relationship. "How long has your application been in?" she asked quietly.

"Since the last week in May."

Sango cleared her throat. "May?" Miroku nodded. "We'd have been dating for maybe two and a half weeks. You let me worry for all of June, July, and August."

"I wanted to surprise you."

Sango laughed and shook her head. "Miroku," she said, looking into his eyes, "we are fine. Our relationship is fine. But if I see you before tomorrow morning, your skull is going to have an accelerated meeting with a frying pan!"

Miroku frowned. "Does this mean I don't get a good night kiss?"

"Out!"

He ran off laughing.

He showed up at her house bright and early the next morning at seven o'clock. He rattled the paper bag as she opened the door. "Peace offering?"

"I have a class at eight."

"That's why I'm early enough for you to have these for breakfast." Sango stepped aside and allowed Miroku to walk in.

She opened the bag and found blueberry bagels. "Am I forgiven?" Miroku asked.

"No," she said shortly. "Did you want butter or cream cheese?"

"Cheese, please."


	45. Chapter 45

**Achievement: 50% completion Bonus Chapter!**

**We're halfway through Moonsilver's epic Inuyasha story, Dear Readers! Just 45 more to go!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 45

Saturday Studying

Scattered in different places around Inuyasha's living room, the group of friends was comparing schedules. "Rin, what did you think of Soujiro?" Sango asked mildly.

She shrugged. "I thought he was okay."

Sango shivered. "Didn't the smile get to you after a while?"

"He's just happy."

Kagome snorted. "I don't care how much he smiles as long as he keeps giving us great books to read." She held up a copy of Gundam Wing. "Have you seen the course book list? Gundam Wing, Rurouni Kenshin, Oh My Goddess..."

She frowned. "Wait a minute. How can the people in the books be the same as our teachers?"

Rin gave her a blank look. "What do you mean?"

Kagome pointed at the cover. "Is that or is that not, Duo, your psychology teacher?"

She looked at the book. "It looks a little like him, but it can't be him."

Kagome blinked and looked back at the book. "Hm..." I don't know, she thought. It's obvious to me who they are, but maybe everyone's just... Oh. I forgot. Kagome, remember, you see what others don't. Got it. Fine. Check. I'm not crazy, the world is.

"What's this Wufei like?" Inuyasha asked abruptly.

Sango thought for a moment. "Stern, likes to explain things, Chinese. Definite authority figure type."

Inuyasha groaned. "I've got Latin with him on Monday."

Later in the evening, Kagome looked over at Sango and asked, "Do you and Miroku have a date tonight?"

Sango shook her head. "We're going to the movies tomorrow afternoon, though."

Inuyasha frowned. "He's a student, right?"

"Yes. At the mage university."

Inuyasha looked at her with a vaguely confused expression on his face. "Does he work or something right now?"

"No. He's going to school full-time and living on his savings."

Inuyasha propped his chin up on his hand. "So why isn't he here?"

Sango stared at him. "Uh..."

"He's a student. You're dating him. We're all studying. If he's got the free time, why isn't he here?"

"Because he was a professor and everybody might feel a little strange?" Kagome answered practically.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked. "Would you?"

Kagome shrugged. "Nah. He's pretty cool in class. And he took the enchantment off when I had that problem with the glass."

"Me, neither. He's your age, Sango, so it's not that he's older than we are. We don't mind him being a teacher. He's your friend, too." Inuyasha looked back at his textbook. "So invite him over next Saturday if everyone's okay with it."

Rin shook her head and Shippo shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me," he said. "You're all older than I am."

"It's your fault for being a genius," Inuyasha told him.

"I am not!"

Kagome glanced at Shippo. He looked up from his book and met her eyes. They both started laughing.

Inuyasha growled at the both of them. "Would you two stop that?"

She tried to contain her laughter. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "But you've never seen her."

"Eyebrows," Shippo said breathless.

Sango shook her head. "I'm going to have to take Sociology just to see Dorothy's eyebrows."

"Other impressions?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Wufei's okay. Latin shouldn't be that hard. Recca's still insane." He looked at Sango. "When's Miroku showing up?"

There was a knock on the door and Inuyasha got up. He opened the door and gestured Miroku inside. "Sango's over there, sandwiches are in the fridge, and the cookies are on the table."

Inuyasha walked back to his textbook and Miroku just stared at him wide-eyed. Sango laughed and got up from her spot on the floor. She walked him into the kitchen and got him situated with a plate of goodies. They returned and sat back down to do some serious studying.

They walked side by side down the sidewalk. "I almost didn't find his house," Miroku confided.

"I told you what it looked like."

"I know." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Did it show?"

Sango gave him a puzzled look. "What?"

"How nervous I was."

"You were nervous? Why?"

Miroku shrugged. "I've taught Inuyasha and Kagome. It's been a while since I was a student."

Sango shook her head. "You were fine. I've got to get to work, so what are you going to do?"

"I think I'm going to go to the library. I want to look up a specific answer."

"Hey! Wait up!"

Sango and Miroku turned to find Shippo running up to them. He stopped and panted for a few seconds and then wordlessly held out a book to Miroku. "You forgot this."

Miroku accepted it. "Thank you."

Shippo grinned at him. "You owe me." Miroku raised an eyebrow. "This is good, because I'm having a problem with my wards homework."

They began walking again and Shippo explained the problem. Miroku dove into the explanation head first. Sango just smiled.


	46. Chapter 46

**Another pair of chapters in Moonsilver's "Source of Magic" for all of you!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 46

Movie Night

Inuyasha pushed the open button and the dvd tray slid forward. Kagome sighed happily. "Good movie."

"Isn't the sequel being shown tomorrow?" he said idly. The dvd went back into its case and onto the shelf.

"Yeah," Kagome said. "You remember what happened the last time I tried to go see a movie."

He winced. "So go with someone."

Kagome stared at him. "I went with everyone last time and it didn't make any difference." She took a deep breath. "I hate this. I can't even go to a movie without having someone to chaperone me!"

Inuyasha sat back down on the couch. "Well, I still want to see the movie."

"Oh, all right. We can go see it together." Kagome pouted for a minute. "I can go downtown by myself and to class. I can even go to the library, the Special, and anywhere else I want to go, too!"

"And you're getting really good at declining dates," he said helpfully. "And practicing your wards and protective spells."

"Is it my fault they don't give up?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. But instead of just defending yourself, why don't you..."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. He'd visited the concession stand and picked up popcorn, a soda, and candy. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not a big fan of popcorn. I don't want to have to get up during the movie to visit the ladies room." She pointed at the candy. "That looks good, but I'm not really hungry."

"You have to be hungry to eat candy?" He looked at her aghast. "I've never heard of such a thing." He popped another couple MMs in his mouth. "What kind of kid were you?"

"The kind that actually liked carrot sticks." The lights dimmed and the movie started.

They'd already fended off two offers of sitting with other people and now dark had fallen. What dangers lurked?

Someone slipped into one of the available chairs at their table. Kagome grinned. Let the games begin.

The chair tipped a little. Not enough to dump the person out, but to give them the message that they weren't supposed to be there. It took two nudges, but the person eventually went back to his original seat.

The next half hour went fine. Kagome was really beginning to get into the movie when she felt ghostly fingers...along her thigh...heading north.

She yelped and triggered a spell. Inuyasha's head swung over to look at her and his eyes went wide. He began snickering at what Kagome had done to the guy.

His eyes narrowed. What did he do to deserve that...?

Kagome stood up. "I am leaving," she hissed loudly. Inuyasha got out of his chair and she followed him to the exit because he had the better night vision.

Once they were out of the building, Inuyasha asked, "What happened?"

"He was feeling along my thigh!" she said outraged.

"And all you did to him was slap the word 'Pervert' to his forehead?" Inuyasha shook his head.

"I was flustered," Kagome muttered. "At least I made it so that the word glows in the dark."

They walked up the sidewalk to Kagome's dorm. Inuyasha accompanied her to her room. No telling what people would try next.

"Hi," Rin said, as they walked in. "The movie wasn't any good?"

"No, the movie was great. The guy trying to feel me up wasn't." Rin frowned and glanced at Inuyasha.

"Don't look at me," he said, holding up his hands. "I was paying attention to the movie."

Rin put her book down. "Did you want to go to the Special?"

Kagome thought for a second and nodded. "That sounds like a great idea. I could use a drink."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Me, too. Can't let you two out at night. The guys aren't safe."

Sango came by to pick up their orders and got an earful from Kagome about the manners of guys. She agreed wholeheartedly and went to get their drinks.

Miroku came up later and Sango had her break to share a snack with him. They moved from one of the smaller tables to a larger ring table. Miroku and Sango sat on one side with Rin next to Miroku. Kagome was beside Rin and Inuyasha was on the outside.

Rin was asking Sango about Tokiya Mikagami's Ecology class when Miroku started to chuckle. "Kagome, that's a very firm one. Good job."

"What?" Kagome said confused.

Inuyasha growled. "Great."

The person in question made a beeline for their table. "Could you take it off? Please?" he asked. "I can't get it off and I've got to go to class tomorrow morning!"

Kagome's jaw dropped and she couldn't find the words to express what she was feeling. Luckily, Inuyasha didn't have that problem. "You were the one groping her and now you want her to take off a spell that a five-year-old could get rid of?"

"Now, Inuyasha," Miroku said, a wide smile on his face. "I think it would take an eight-year-old. That's a tight spell Kagome worked."

Inuyasha snorted. "Whatever."

The guy ignored all of these comments and kept his eyes focused on Kagome. "Please?"

Kagome glared at him. "No."

"Why?"

"Because you had your hand on my leg! I'm not dating you, you don't have that right, and you're being annoying. Why would you ask the person who put 'pervert' on your forehead to take it off in the first place? You haven't even apologized!"

He looked solemn. "I'm sorry. Now will you take it off?"

"No! And if you don't go away, I'll renew the spell every day for a week!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Sir, you're upsetting one of the customers," Sango said in her best professional voice.

The guy gave her a dirty look. "I'm asking her to take a spell off."

"No, you're badgering her to take a spell off that you deserve from the sound of things," Miroku told him. "I'd suggest finding one of your teachers to take it off. Of course, you'd have to come up with a very good explanation..."

He ignored Miroku and looked back at Kagome. "Take it off." He took a deep breath and began to speak.

Inuyasha spoke a word and the boy fell back on his rear. "I'd suggest you leave her alone," Inuyasha said quietly.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "I had forgotten your major was battle magic," he said casually. The boy's eyes widened and he fled.

Rin frowned. "What's so upsetting about battle magic?" she asked. Kagome looked at her. She shrugged. "All Miroku had to do was mention Inuyasha's major. What's so special about it?"

Inuyasha flexed his hands. "Battle mages aren't something to mess with."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I've had just about enough of mages right now."

Sango laughed. "And I've got to get back to work." The little gathering broke up.

In their dorm room, Kagome looked at Rin as she came back from her shower. "Want me to explain?"

"Explain what?" Rin asked.

"The majors," Kagome said simply. "Shippo's is Illusion and Deceptive Tactics. He'll probably go into movie special effects, military work, somewhere he can use what he has. Miroku's... I'm betting his is something to do with wards and protective magics. His major is useful all over, museums, rare books, and security work."

Kagome took a deep breath. "Battle magic is different. It can be used in a lot of different ways. He could use it as a police officer, military, something like that. He could also use it as being backup for some dangerous situations. Battle magic isn't always used for good, either. A lot of battle mages are power-hungry and go bad."

"Inuyasha's life could be very dangerous as a battle mage. He could also go into deciphering spells, research, or have a normal job."

"Why everyone backs off is battle mages can be..." Kagome tried to find a good way to say it. "Volatile. They can be violent, arrogant, and not good people to be around. Or they can be very protective like you saw tonight." Kagome grinned. "Inuyasha's a good guy. He's nothing for us to be afraid of."

Rin nodded. "Okay."

"There are other majors that aren't too good. Individual classes and studies. If you find something you're not sure about, find someone to ask."

"I do that anyway."

"Just making sure."


	47. Chapter 47

**I know more than just those who leave reviews are reading this, and I hope you're all enjoying it as well. **

**Please, check out my own Fanfics as well.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 47

Family

Sango met Kagome in the foyer of her dorm and together they began walking downtown. It was a gorgeous Wednesday in late September. The leaves on the trees were just starting to tinge and herald that fall was coming. The girls were comfortable without jackets to ward off the nonexistent chill in the air.

They had plans to duck into their favorite shops and browse. If something caught their eye, that was fine.

"So..." Kagome glanced at Sango. "How are your classes going?"

"Ecology's fascinating. The teacher, Tokiya Mikagami, though." Sango shuddered. "He's like a block of ice."

She snapped her fingers. "I'm taking element class, right? Earth with Domon? My teacher walks the class into the woods and points out a huge boulder partly blocking the hiking path by the river."

Kagome nodded. "I've walked up that way."

Sango snorted. "Don't count on that rock being there anymore. He said that the college had asked him to move it. He moved it all right. He just touched it and it shattered into pebbles." Kagome's eyes widened. "That's what I did. I couldn't believe it."

"You know about manga class since we've got that one together. German. Trowa's good at teaching, but he's so quiet. You're working on one of the worksheets and a finger comes into view pointing out a wrong word. He sneaks up behind you. I swear, the guy has the feet of a cat."

Sango sighed. "Wufei's great. Stern, but he knows what he's talking about. What about your classes?"

Kagome shrugged. "Dorothy's a little strange, but I'm learning the material. I now believe all the stories you told about Mihoshi."

Sango giggled. "I told you!"

The conversation had carried them down the block, across the street, and now they were at the entrance of Muted Twilight. They walked in and admired the jewelry on the left wall, the rice paper books, and the boxes of charms, beads, and trinkets. They sighed over the colorful clothing.

Sango dawdled around the windchimes, but found Kagome by the tapestries. She pointed up. "What do you think about that one?"

"You've already got curtains," Sango objected.

"I know, but I had those up all last year. If I get another one, I can take the old one home for my room." Kagome paused. "That's a good idea. I've got lots of windows at home."

Sango looked up dubiously. "It's up too high."

"Can I help?"

Kagome looked at the young man standing there. "Do you work here?"

He shrugged. "No. But I've got long arms. Which one was it?" Kagome pointed and he got it down for her.

She stroked a hand across the washed purple fabric. "Definitely this one. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Can I ask a favor?"

Kagome's shoulders slumped and she looked at him with a put-upon expression. "You can ask."

He frowned. "It's a really simple question. Do you go to the college?" Kagome nodded. "Do you know someone named Shippo?"

Kagome brightened. "That wasn't the question I expected. Yes, I know him."

"I went by his dorm room and he wasn't there."

Sango shook her head. "He has class from twelve thirty to three on Wednesday." She checked her watch. "It's only 1:15."

He sighed. "Then I'll find somewhere to eat and wait for him. Thank you."

"Hey!" Kagome said as he turned to leave. "The Special's a good restaurant."

He looked vaguely interested. "Can you give me directions?"

"We can do better. We'll walk you there," Sango told him. Kagome went up front to pay for her tapestry and they walked down the block.

"Why are you looking for Shippo?" Sango asked.

Kagome giggled. Sango looked at her. "He's a kitsune," she explained. "They're probably family."

"That's right. Shippo's my little brother. I'm making a trip further north and I stopped by to see how he was doing. Mom would kill me if I didn't bring back news. My name is Baiko."

Kagome nodded to him. "Nice to meet you, Baiko. I'm Kagome and this is Sango."

He smiled with recognition. "Shippo's written home about you. The Source of Magic and his friend who works at the Special. Now I know why I'm being directed to that restaurant."

He leaned closer. "So how is he doing?" Kagome and Sango began to fill him in on Shippo's first year.

Kagome walked Baiko to Shippo's dorm room and watched the two men hug and slap each other on the back. Family was a good thing.

"Now, I want to thank this Inuyasha guy," Baiko told his brother sternly. "You didn't tell us. Mom's going to have your hide."

Shippo slumped and looked at Kagome. She held up her hands. "I didn't know that you hadn't told them. All I said was something about how you met Inuyasha. Your brother's persuasive at getting stories."

"Yeah, I know," Shippo said mournfully. "We can walk by his house. He might be home."

Inuyasha answered the door and gestured them all in. Shippo made the introductions and Baiko thanked him for hauling his little brother out of trouble.

"Sure," Inuyasha said, grinning. "Want me to point those two out?"

"That would be appreciated," Baiko said with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Males."

Baiko gave her a speculative glance. "So what did you expect me to ask?"

She sighed. "For a date. That's what most guys do." He looked at the other two guys in the room and Kagome shook her head. "Nope. They've never asked." She gave a sigh of relief. "You wouldn't believe the amount of trash I throw away."

Baiko chuckled. "Have you tried returning their letters?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'd have to open the letters to get their names and then spend two hours sending them back."

"You get that many?"

"I fill up at least one trash bag every two days."

He blinked. "That's not good."

"Flowers, candy, presents, letters, notes..." Kagome shrugged. "Part of my life."

"Anyone home?" Sesshoumaru called. "Oh, we have company." He was introduced to Shippo's older brother and offered dinner. They all accepted except for Kagome. She pleaded homework and went back to her dorm.

Kagome had just gotten back from class on Thursday when someone knocked on the door. Shippo and Baiko came in when she answered. They talked for a few minutes and Baiko finally said, "I'm leaving soon, but Shippo's been telling me about some of the things to appear in your room."

He looked around. "Do you have something I can put a spell on? A figurine or a book? Something that hasn't been touched by magic."

Kagome offered him a paperback book and he laid a spell on it. "It won't keep illusions out," he said apologetically. "What it will do is get rid of them once you activate it. For example, if you woke up with that heart again, you would touch the book and focus your mind on the illusion. The spell would take that as a direction to get rid of the heart."

"Thank you," Kagome said. She placed the book beside the dragon statue. "I've got wards up, but I can't get rid of illusions."

Baiko smiled. "It's okay. It's just a problem that I could solve." He turned to Shippo. "Ready to get some lunch?" His little brother nodded and they walked down the hall after Kagome had thanked him again.


	48. Chapter 48

**Because I like even numbers, here is a triple update. Enjoy!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 48

Sango's Familiar

Wufei entered the classroom and opened his briefcase. The conversations wound to an end and he passed out the appropriate materials.

"You've all taken Mythological Creatures," he began. "So you know you may attract a familiar that isn't something you've encountered before. If you have a problem, my number is located in your syllabus and on the paper I just handed out. We've gone over the summoning process and you all scored well on the test."

He paused. "Those of you who are magically inclined have the option of specifying that you wish a true familiar. But not being a mage doesn't mean that you will not attract a magical creature. If after you work your summoning, you find that you have something you're unfamiliar with, please call me."

He went on to detail the specifics of summoning and Sango stared at the paper along with the rest of the class. Most of the people here were studying to be mages. She had a few classmates that were taking this as an elective.

She wouldn't summon a true familiar because she wasn't interested in being a mage. If she'd shown any potential, someone would have said something by now.

So she'd summon a familiar that would be a friend to her. A creature that just wanted companionship, not a magical partnership.

Sango sat down in her room and reviewed the paper. Focus her will, speak the trigger words for summoning, and outline what she wanted. Sounds simple, she thought. My thoughts can't wander and I have to speak the words clearly.

She fell back on meditation and calmed herself down. What she wanted was already written down, so she'd be fine. Absolutely fine.

She'd spoken with her mother before entering the class and Kirara was fine with Sango having a familiar. She'd presented it like having a pet even though she had no idea what she'd end up summoning.

Sufficiently calm, she focused on the summoning process and spoke the words. She drew in a deep breath. "Someone who doesn't care if I'm a mage or not. I won't need their help with magic. I'd like someone who just wants a friend."

Sango spoke the ending words to shut down the summoning and glanced at the paper again. "The arrival of the familiar may take a few seconds or a few weeks, depending on how far away they are. The familiar will be known when the summoner touches the familiar and the spell energy is returned."

Kagome looked up as she walked into Inuyasha's house. "How'd the summoning go?" she asked cheerfully.

Sango shrugged. "I think I did it right. I'm waiting now."

"How does it work?" Rin asked. "Will the familiar find you or your house or...?"

"Me," Sango verified. "I'm the homing beacon."

"What do you think you'll get?" Kagome smiled as Inuyasha stole a cookie from her plate. "Hey! You don't have to sneak them. My cookies are your cookies."

He raised an eyebrow. "Actually, they're Sess's cookies. And why wouldn't I steal them? It's more fun that way."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "So what do you think, Sango?"

"I don't know. I'm just hoping for someone who isn't too strange."

Kagome nodded slowly. "It would be kind of weird to get a cockatrice or something dangerous." She looked at Sango who was now seriously doubting her sanity for signing up for that particular course. "Hey. Whoever comes to see you will be great."

That night, Sango wasn't so sure. What if it was someone...not suited to her? She turned out the light and snuggled down deep in her bed. The summoning had been completed. She'd just have to wait and see.

Kirara jolted awake, but didn't open her eyes. What had woken her up this time?

There it was again. A weird sound, almost like a scratching noise.

The door, she realized. Something is at the door. She sighed and opened her eyes. Middle of the night, she realized as she looked at the clock. A strange noise at the door. She slid the nightstand drawer open and took out the revolver. If it was a burglar, they were going to have a very painful surprise.

She approached the door carefully and peeked out a side window. Nothing moved and she didn't see anything...

Shrugging, she snapped the light on and looked out the window again. Her shoulders fell and Kirara rolled her eyes. She opened the door and a blur ran by her to stop in the middle of the room. She examined this new person and walked calmly away toward her new destination.

Kirara followed the creature up the stairs and watched it go into her daughter's room. It leapt up on the bed, curled into a ball, and snuggled into the covers.

She walked into the room and said, "Sango? Sango, wake up."

The girl stirred and focused on her mother. "Mom?"

Kirara pointed to the end of the bed. "You have company."

Sango looked and she smiled at the mostly white cat. She sat up and reached out a hand towards its head. When she touched it, she felt the energy return to her and she sighed happily. "It's her."

"How do you know it's a her?"

Sango frowned. "I just know. That's strange."

Kirara snorted. "Just tell her not to wake me up in the middle of the night. I thought she was a burglar. I'll put a cat flap in if she needs it."

Sango nodded and her mother left the room. She took a moment to look the cat over. Small and lean, mostly white with a touch of black around one ear, a bit at the tip of her tail, and her left back leg. and very big ears for her head.

The cat snoozed and Sango found her eyelids dropping. Morning, Sango thought. Think about this in the morning...

Morning came and Sango petted her familiar. The cat uncurled from her position and purred loudly. There is so much to do today, Sango thought to herself. "I've got to find you a litterbox, a water bowl, a food bowl..."

She frowned. "And find my notes. We're supposed to be able to do some interesting things, you and I."

The cat looked at her and winked. Sango raised an eyebrow. "Of course, you're fascinating on your own."

That Friday, everyone brought their familiars to class. A few hadn't shown up yet, but the majority had one.

Sango's Tama was sitting in her lap, watching the happenings around her. A few of the familiars were...mythical, but a lot of them were other cats. Sango wondered idly why there wasn't any fighting.

Wufei walked into the room and looked around. "Good. Class today is about your familiars and a brief lecture about what they are capable of. Start here," he said, pointing at the first row, "tell me what your familiar is and their name if you know it. When the last person in the row has spoken, switch to the back and go forward."

The first person spoke and by the time it had reached Sango, she knew that there was at least one gargoyle, a snake, and two birds in the room with her. "My familiar is a cat and her name is Tama."

Wufei nodded to her and looked at the next person. The listing continued until the last person had stated their familiar. "Your familiars are all capable of companionship. The mage familiars can help with magic and such. All of you should be able to get across to your familiars what you want and vice versa. By being around you and responding to your summons, they are more intelligent than average. Refer to your books for more information."

"Some of you might be wondering how you got your familiars into class today, while others called me for information. Your familiars will follow you wherever they choose unless you specifically ask them not to. Both colleges and their grounds have spells that only allow certain people to see your familiars. The teachers and mage students will, but the others won't. Everyone who is aware of the mage university will be able to see your familiars. Your classes should not have a problem provided that your familiar is quiet."

Wufei paused. "There are also spells to keep your familiar from being seen." He spoke a word and a blue dragon emerged into view. Sango's eyes widened. There was a small dragon curled around his shoulders.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound very practical. How would it keep its balance?"

"I don't know," Sango said. She was sitting on the loveseat in Inuyasha's living room. "But I found out that there's potential for telepathy or something like it between me and Tama."

Kagome grinned. "You named her Tama?" She shook her head. "Do you know what the name of the jewel inside me is? The Shikon no Tama?"

"It means jewel in Japanese." Sango looked proudly at her familiar. "And she is."


	49. Chapter 49

**This is a fun little chapter that Moonsilver wrote.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 49

Shippo's Birthday

Shippo's eyes popped open when he awoke on a very special day. It was also Tuesday which meant he had to be up early anyway to go to Dorothy's Sociology class, but today was also his birthday!

He leapt out of bed, got dressed, and checked his email. As usual, he had dozens of birthday messages from relatives around the world. With a wide smile, he threw his backpack over his shoulder and ran off for class. He snagged a doughnut and a small container of orange juice from the cafeteria and slid into class four minutes early.

Dorothy didn't pay any attention to him and finally began class three minutes after eight. "Today we are going to look at societal pressures," she began.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shippo got out of class at ten thirty and ran back to his dorm room. Someone stopped him at the mail window. "Shippo, you have mail," she said grinning. "Did you want it?"

"Sure," he said.

"Good." She ducked out of sight and a few moments later, a door opened into the hallway. "Come give me a hand," she said faintly.

Shippo walked around the corner and saw what she was talking about. "You win the prize for having the biggest present shipped from home. Congratulations." She glared at the box. "It's bigger than you are."

He stood next to it and, sure enough, it was a few inches taller. "Could you keep an eye on it for me? Jinenji might be around to help with it."

She nodded and he ran up the stairs. Since they had gotten along really well, he and Jinenji had decided to be roommates again this year. Jinenji had a lot of problems with people just seeing his size and not his gentle manner. Shippo was short for his age and he was the youngest person on campus when he started here at sixteen. He didn't have a problem with Jinenji and Jinenji felt that Shippo was one of the people he could trust.

Plus what if Jinenji had been paired with another large person? How would you fit both of them in one of the tiny dorm rooms?

Shippo opened the door and saw Jinenji look up at him. "Do you have a minute?" he asked.

Jinenji nodded. "I've got to be in class in twenty-five minutes, though."

"My family just sent me a huge package and I can't carry it by myself." Shippo and Jinenji went downstairs and Jinenji picked up the package by himself. He carried it upstairs and into the dorm room where he set it down in the center of the room.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jinenji got his backpack and left the room.

Shippo stared at the package and then at his dorm room. "They know I'm living in a small space," he muttered.

"Who knows that?"

Shippo turned to see Inuyasha in the doorway. "Hi."

"Happy Birthday!" Rin and Kagome said.

Inuyasha moved and the two girls walked into the room. "Geez," Kagome said, admiring the package. "What are you going to do with that?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "He's going to open it, of course."

"I know that! What if it's something huge? He doesn't have the space for it."

"He'll figure it out."

"Oh, you're so compassionate," Kagome said dryly. "Shippo, we just came over to tell you happy birthday."

Inuyasha shook his head. "And Sesshoumaru wants everyone over for dinner and birthday cake tonight around five thirty."

Rin looked at the box and tilted her head. "How'd you get it up here?"

"Jinenji," Shippo said. He reached a hand up on the top of the box and pulled at the end. "I don't know what's going to come out of here..."

"Good point," Kagome said, backing up.

Shippo pulled the top open and a group of balloons floated out. They arranged themselves in front of him and chorused, "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Shippo!"

"I'm sorry we couldn't be there."

"But we got you lots of presents."

"Your brother says you're doing fine."

"We miss you!"

"Happy Birthday!"

The voices stopped and Shippo tentatively reached into the box. His hand met a crinkle of paper and he pulled it out. It was a rolled cylinder. He pulled the paper off and shook it out. It was a blue fleece throw. He shook his head. "Mom. Always worried about me being cold."

He tipped the box toward him and set it down gently. He sat down on the floor and began pulling out packages while Inuyasha, Kagome, and Rin found places to sit. The girls took Jinenji's bed and Inuyasha sat on the floor. Shippo kept his bed for all the presents.

When he was finally through unwrapping everything, he had a blue fleece throw, five new dvds, a gift card for 100 to Walmart, nine books including the newest hardcover of a favorite series, a microwave, a box of CD-Rs, a cordless phone, and a very thick stack of games for his computer.

"Well," he said. He looked over it all and nodded. "I'm going to call them tonight and tell them the package got here."

Kagome blinked at all the stuff. "I don't think we have to return any of our presents." She glanced at Rin who shook her head.

"I hate to break this up," Kagome said.

"But we've got class at one," Inuyasha finished for her.

She grinned at him. "And I've got to go back to my dorm, grab my stuff, and find something to eat."

Inuyasha agreed with her. "Five thirty," he said. "Sesshoumaru was talking about a new recipe for chocolate frosting." Rin left with them, leaving Shippo to put away the stuff. The dvds went on the shelf as soon as they had been unwrapped. The books encountered the same treatment. The CD-Rs went under his desk. The throw went over the bed. The microwave was set up along with the phone. He put the gift card in his wallet and began installing the games on his computer.

While he was waiting for the first game to install he thought back to Kagome and Inuyasha. He finished her thought, Shippo realized. He guessed exactly what she was going to say. Strange...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He showed up at quarter after five and sniffed the air. His favorite dinner and...cake?

Shippo tried to walk near the kitchen, but Sesshoumaru called out, "If you come in here, I will shove a wooden spoon up your nose."

He made a u-turn and went to sit in the living room.

Inuyasha thundered down the stairs and grinned at him. "He won't let anyone in. Did you get the 'If you come in here, I will slam your hands in the refrigerator?'"

"No." Shippo repeated the threat he got and then the girls walked in. Kagome carried the small gift and Sango was toting the big box.

Sesshoumaru announced that dinner was ready and they all went into the kitchen. Kagome glanced around. "Where's the cake?"

Inuyasha laughed. "It's hidden somewhere."

Sesshoumaru glared at him. "It is not. It is in a cake cover." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Which is hiding behind the cereal boxes."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When dinner was over, Shippo unwrapped his presents. The big present was a new computer mouse and the small present was shared between all of them. They had pooled their money to buy him a gift card for one of the online music stores.

Shippo thanked them until he was blue in the face. Sesshoumaru went into the kitchen and cut the cake when Shippo declined the tradition of blowing out the candles. They all trundled in after their slice and returned to the living room with their chocolate on chocolate cake.

"So what happened to the balloons?" Kagome asked.

Shippo frowned. "They were an illusion. The strings hanging from them were the recording devices for the voices."

"You can do that?"

He nodded. "Very easily. I can do that. I should be able to produce something like those wings you had for Halloween...by the end of this semester?"

Inuyasha winced. "Don't tell her that. You'll get dragged into making illusions next Halloween."

"Well... Not this Halloween, but maybe next year," Kagome said consideringly.


	50. Chapter 50

**Shameless Begging: If any of you are familiar with Neon Genesis Evangelion, ****_please_**** go look at what I've written and see if any catch your attention. If you read any, then please also leave a review!**

**Ok, enough about me. Back to Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 50

Rin's Midterm

Rin put her backpack over her shoulder gingerly. It contained nothing that she needed for her next task.

Don't think about it, she thought. After I get this done, I'm going to go to the library and study. Yes, concentrate on working on your anthropology homework.

She walked out of the cafeteria and decided on a route. About halfway there, she shook her head and stopped. I don't want to do this. I really don't want to do this. I'd rather answer Kagome's fan mail than do this.

She sighed and began walking again. I have to do this.

I aced the written part of the test. I just don't want to take the spoken part.

I shouldn't be upset about this. I know the material. He's going to carry on a small conversation with me, ask my numbers and colors, and that will be it.

She shuddered. I don't want to!

Rin pulled at the door and it didn't open. She sighed and stood away from it. "You do not intimidate me," she said sternly. Wrapping both hands around the bar, she pulled and the door came free. "Dratted heavy thing," she muttered.

She started up the first flight of steps. I did well on the written. I know I did. I love learning Japanese. It's just that the teacher is so...

Rin swallowed. He stares at the whole class as if daring them to learn his language. He scares me. He never smiles and his homework assignments are more like commands.

She cleared the first flight and started the second. She climbed the third and reached the top. Pulling open the door, she stared down the hallway.

Um... Have a few minutes. Good time for a bathroom break. She ducked inside and wasted a few minutes.

This is stupid. I am eighteen, in my second year of college, and I'm afraid to go talk to a professor? I know the subject. I can pass this. I just don't want to talk to him!

Rin straightened and marched out of the bathroom. She got all the way to his office and inside before she began to lose her nerve. He was just sitting there, writing something in a book. There wasn't anything to be afraid-

He pointed at the chair with the end of his pen. She sat immediately. He finished writing and looked at her. He nodded and said something in Japanese.

Rin didn't know what it was because she was frozen. His mouth moved, but she didn't hear him. He frowned slightly and repeated the question.

What am I going to do, she thought. I-I...

She bolted.

Down the stairs, she ran. Rin finally stopped on the first floor landing and panted. She stopped breathing for a moment and waited for the door on the third floor to open.

When it didn't, she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked out the window and her eyes widened. I just ran out of my professor's office.

My midterm.

I'm going to fail.

Even that wasn't enough to make her go back. Her cheeks flamed red and she winced. I can't go back to class. He'll ask why I ran and I...

Rin stared out the window. What am I going to do? Tears pricked at her eyes and she tried to blink them away. Her breathing hitched and she fought with herself. I am not going to cry. Not going to!

Someone moved between her and the door. "Rin?" he asked softly. "Is something wrong?"

She looked at the person, startled and ashamed to be caught crying. Violet eyes offered comfort to her and she sniffled. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," he replied. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the clinic?"

"No."

"To be able to fix it, I've got to know what's not right," he coaxed. She turned back toward the window and her tears fell free. He sighed and moved to stand closer to her. "Now, this isn't exactly good student/professor stuff, but-"

He tugged her around and offered a hug. "Come on. I've been told I'm a good one to cry on." Rin took the comfort he offered and cried.

When she finished, she looked up at him. "Thanks," she murmured.

"Ah, I needed a shower anyway," he joked. "Going to tell me now?"

"It's embarrassing."

"We've all had our moments. Did you want to go up to my office?" Rin nodded and he led her up to the third floor.

She shook her head when he opened the door for her. "Something wrong?"

"Yes," Rin said reluctantly. "Can we talk out here?"

Duo let go of the door. "Sure." They settled against the wall and he cleared his throat. "Any time you're ready."

She took a deep breath. "I'm taking a class and the teacher frightens me."

He nodded. "Okay. What frightens you?"

"He's quiet except when he's teaching us. He sits very straight and doesn't slouch. He assigns homework like the assignments are life and death. He looks at you and it's like he's staring into your soul." She glanced at him. "Don't laugh."

"I won't," Duo promised. "So... You've got a scary professor."

"I had to take a midterm with him today and I ran out of the room."

Duo pursed his lips. "That would be embarrassing." He pushed away from the wall. "So we'll go see this professor and I'll stay there while you take your exam. Sounds good?"

Rin shrugged. "I can try it."

"Who's the teacher?"

"Heero Yuy. He teaches Japanese."

Duo nodded solemnly. "The guy who shares my office. Now I see why you didn't want to go there. How about I go talk to him and I'll come back and get you? You're not going to run from me, right?" He grinned at her and she shook her head. He walked through the door and left Rin alone to go talk to her professor.

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Duo leaned against the doorway. "You've done it again." Heero looked up. "Did a girl just run out of here?"

"Yes."  
>"That girl, who I might mention is one of my advisee students, just spent a few minutes crying on my shoulder because you frighten her."<p>

Heero's head lowered a fraction and he closed his eyes. Duo came into the room proper and patted his best friend's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about it. She's a really nice kid. She just needs to know that you're human. You might try to smile in class."

Heero glared at him. "Or maybe not," Duo amended. "I said that I'd stay during the exam. So I'll have a seat and watch." Duo ducked out of the office and fetched Rin.

The girl entered the office sheepishly and sat down in the chair again. "Ah, Rin," Duo said. "Why don't you take my chair? It rolls."

Rin got up and took the chair that was further from the door, but it was also away from Heero. Duo took her chair and slouched. "So, go speak Japanese," he said, waving a hand at them.

Heero greeted her in a much softer voice than the first exam and Rin responded cautiously. They managed to get through the rest of the exam without further mishap and Rin left after giving Duo a grateful smile.

"Why do I frighten her?" Heero asked.

Duo shrugged. "You look at her, you don't slouch, stuff like that. Stuff you're working on, but it doesn't come out around students until you've known them a few months." Heero nodded and went back to his work.


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: This was written by Moonsilver several years ago, and I make no claim to it, nor have I made any alterations to it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 51

Halloween

"Oh, you look nice!"

"Thank you," the three girls chorused.

Kaoru grinned at them. "Here for more of Kenshin's cookies, hm?" They nodded and helped themselves to orange napkins and cookies shaped like pumpkins.

It was yet another Halloween and their annual dilemma over who made the best cookies, Kenshin or Kasumi.

"I sent off a package this morning," Kenshin said, dipping up a few more cups of punch. "Melly actually sent me a check for them this year." He shook his head. "I told her she didn't need to."

Kaoru snickered. "She enjoyed it. Signed the check 'To Mr. Kenshin Himura' and added a note about it being from a Miss Melly." She turned and settled her son back in his chair. "This is Kenji, everyone." They cooed over the two-year-old and Kaoru proudly announced that she'd be coming back to the childcare center as soon as spring semester started.

Sango looked at her watch and tapped it. Kagome stopped admiring Kenji and they made their goodbyes. The guys were going to meet them at the mage university's party and they didn't want to be late.

"No demons, no illusions, nothing creepy," Rin said softly. "Please?"

Kagome laughed. "Oh, something will go wrong."

"Then why are we going?"

Sango grinned. "Because I want to see what happens to Kagome."

"Oh, thanks a lot," Kagome complained.

They made it to the auditorium without anything happening and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she'd escape unscathed this year.

"Sango!" Miroku hugged her and stepped away. "You make an adorable goddess."

She stared at his hat. "Um..."

"Do you like it?" he asked, adjusting the hat so it was straight.

Inuyasha shook his head as he came up to them. "A Viking. We're from all over the globe, aren't we?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Musketeer?"

"Cleopatra?"

"And I, their lady-in-waiting," Rin said, curtseying.

Shippo held up a magnifying glass. "And I shall investigate the mystery. For is it not said, 'When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'?"

Kagome groaned. "Has anything happened yet?"

"We just arrived," Miroku told her, kissing Sango's hand gallantly. "Would my lady like something from the refreshment table?" She nodded and they began their walk over.

Inuyasha looked around. "Did you want to sit or stand?"

"Sit," Kagome said. "Let's find a table so we can all have somewhere to enjoy Kasumi's snacks." Rin and Shippo accompanied them.

Sango and Miroku came back with a tray of goodies and punch for everyone. They commented on the costumes and the decorations.

"Why do you keep turning around?" Inuyasha asked Kagome.

She shrugged. "I keep feeling something. Like someone's poked me in the back."

"There isn't anyone there."

"I know. That's the funny thing."

Rin got up from the table. "Ladies room," she said. Kagome joined her. Sango sat with the guys and munched on cookies. Or at least the cookies that the guys hadn't already sneaked for themselves.

When the tray was empty, Shippo and Inuyasha got up to load it with more snacks. On the way there, Inuyasha stepped around a shadow. Shippo frowned at it, but followed the older boy.

Kasumi had just put out two new platters of cookies and the guys helped themselves. A small black shadow, about the size of a tennis ball, inched toward them. Shippo pointed. "Inuyasha, is that shadow attached to anything?"

He glanced at it. "Maybe it's a reflection from something."

Kasumi walked over and shooed it away. "They're all over the place tonight," she told them.

"What?" Shippo asked.

"Kagehoshi is making the shadows dance," Kasumi told them matter-of-factly. "They won't hurt you."

Both of them just shook their heads and took the tray back to the table. They'd seen stranger things since living in this town.

When they got back to the table, Kagome and Rin had returned and were telling Sango and Miroku about the shadows. "We found one of those on the refreshment table," Inuyasha told her.

She took a cookie shaped like a witch's hat. "No, we're talking about the ones that dive at you from above."

"Huh?"

"This big black winged shadowy thing dived at us from the ceiling," she told him. "We both shrieked and it flew away." She bit into the cookie.

Sango looked up and shivered. "That's not the only thing that's up there," she said softly. The whole table looked up at the tone of her voice.

Kagome's eyes widened. Intellectually, she knew that there were lights above her. She knew that. How else would there be light on the table and in the auditorium if there weren't lights?

But her eyes fed her another picture. A picture of inky darkness, with shadows whirling from black to a dark grey. Of tiny red figures with glowing eyes and wicked claws grinning at her. They were not happy little red men, they were evil. A coldness touched her heart.

"Shippo?" she said faintly.

"Yeah?"

"That's an illusion, right?"

He paused. "Um... Yes and no."

"What?"

"It's real, but it's not here."

Kagome felt light-headed. "Oh."

Rin looked firmly down at the table. "I am going to eat my cookie and enjoy Halloween. Though, I think I'd rather be around six years old and going trick-or-treating. I've had much scarier Halloweens since I've been here."

"Maybe next year we should just throw our own Halloween party," Kagome suggested. "Watch the Snoopy Halloween special with the Great Pumpkin. Have Kenshin's cookies."

"Ah, this isn't scary," Duo said from behind her. "What's scary is what the professors wanted to do and got talked out of." He sat in one of the available chairs and nodded to Rin. "Hi, Rin. Having fun?" She nodded. "Good."

Kagome looked at his Death costume and he grinned. "I wear the same one every year. Reminds me of something." She decided not to ask what it reminded him of.

Heero showed up at his shoulder and nodded to Rin. She returned the favor and he lowered his head to speak quietly to Duo.

"Now?" Duo said. "This early?" Heero nodded. "Idiot," he muttered. Duo looked around at the table. "Anyone squeamish should leave the party now."

Rin swallowed. "Why?"

Someone whispered over the intercom system, "The dead walk."

Duo grimaced. "That's why."

A man in thick black robes stood in the center of the stage and raised his hands to gain attention. He raised his head and everyone saw his calm eyes. After all, if the guy on the stage was calm, why wouldn't everyone else be?

"As a special Halloween treat..." He gestured to the sides of the stage. "The dead walk." The people around the stage began shuffling. Kagome raised a hand to her mouth and shook her head. There were two skeletons with red glowing eyes and no clothes. The rest were clothed and in various stages. Most were skeletons with bits of rags, but a few were... not very decomposed.

Their bodies didn't move like they were alive and breathing. It was a shuffling walk as if they were afraid of moving too fast that their bones might shatter. Arms were outstretched and Naraku's gaze followed them everywhere. People shrank away from them and let them pass unimpeded.

Duo closed his eyes and sought out every person that Naraku had raised. Man, this ticks me off, he thought. Unnatural power to raise them which means he either borrowed it off of a necromancer or he made a pact with something else.

It was his job to check if anyone did it the wrong way. If they did that... Duo grinned. They'd be mine.

And Naraku is slippery enough that he's done it right. Except for this one.

Duo freed one of the people and it turned back the way it had come, headed for its grave. Duo looked at Naraku who was giving him a sour look. He raised his glass of punch to the older man and drank.

While Duo was checking the walking dead, Naraku had maneuvered one close to their table. Kagome shrank away from the sight of it walking through the crowd, but didn't get up.

It walked determined to their table and kept its gaze focused on Kagome. Miroku was staring at it as well and beckoned for Sango and Rin to get up. Shippo watched from his seat while Inuyasha glared at the person.

Duo lowered his glass in time to see the person reach out for Kagome. How'd he get so close!

She shouted a spell and the arm stopped. It fell back to its side and waited, still staring at her.

Duo gave the person a stern look and pointed back to Naraku. The skeleton walked sedately back to its caller. The walking dead returned to Naraku and he left with them. Duo relaxed. "Hey," he said, looking at Heero. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"I had to?"

Duo sniffed. "Well, it would've been nice."

Kagome sighed, much relieved. "I'm just glad that spell stopped it." The group quickly decided that they didn't really want to be there and left.

Duo took another cookie and got up from the table. No, he thought. It didn't.


	52. Chapter 52

**Just 38 more chapters, dear readers!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 52

Chess

They considered the board, each of them. Deep in thought and brows furrowed in concentration, neither one of them expected what happened.

Knock, Knock

Inuyasha jumped and Sesshoumaru grinned at him. "Come in!" he called.

The door opened and Kagome and Rin entered the house. "Hi!" she said. "Are you ready?"

Inuyasha blinked. "Ready for what?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Today? Studying? Mythological Creatures paper due in four days?"

He winced and then looked at the board. "Sorry, Sess. Homework calls." He bolted from the small table and ran up the stairs. Kagome shrugged and followed him at a more sedate pace.

"He was losing anyway," Sess said.

"I can play," Rin offered. He looked at her. "You and Inuyasha didn't get to finish. Though, I haven't played in a while."

He gestured to the chair across from him and began setting up the board again. Inuyasha jogged down the stairs and retrieved his drink. "You're going to play against him?" Rin nodded. "Would you like something to drink? Something akin to a last meal?"

Rin grinned and shook her head. "I'll get it." He shrugged and ran back upstairs.

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When the two came back downstairs an hour later, Inuyasha was surprised to see Sess and Rin still playing. "Rin, you're ruining my reputation. I usually lose in half an hour. Or did you set up the board again?"

Sess moved a piece and leaned back. "No, Inuyasha. This is the same game. And, if I may be so bold as to ask, what reputation?"

Inuyasha sighed. "No respect."

Kagome patted him on the back. "Well, I do." He looked at her with surprised eyes. "When you're not knocking me into a snowdrift so I have to borrow your pants, anyway."

"That joke is getting old," Inuyasha complained.

"But still funny," Rin commented.

"I happen to think it's hilarious," Sess agreed. Rin moved a chess piece and he immediately moved another. She smiled and slid another piece into place.

He stared at the board. Rin bit her lip. "Um... I really just came over, because Kagome said Inuyasha had a copy of As Good As It Gets. I wanted to watch it for psychology class."

Inuyasha grinned at her. "You beat him at chess. Would you like my firstborn?"

"No, thank you," Rin said politely. "Though, I think I'll go get that drink now." She stood and scurried into the kitchen.

Inuyasha watched her go. "Geez, Sess, I think she thinks you're mad at her."

Sesshoumaru continued to scan the board. "How did she...?" he muttered.

"Sess!"

He looked up to see Inuyasha looking at him pointedly. "Rin won the game. Are you mad at her?"

"No," he said frowning. "I want to know how she did it."

"It's simple," she told him. She reset the board and showed him exactly how she had lured him into the trap.

Inuyasha's stomach rumbled and they looked at the clock. "Time for dinner," Sesshoumaru decided. "I've got a ham in the oven if anyone wants to stay."

"Do you even have to ask?" Kagome said.

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Dinner had been eaten, the cook had been complimented, and Sesshoumaru was cleaning up. Kagome and Rin had offered, but he had waved them away. No one felt like going home or that their house was being invaded, so Sess had suggested a movie.

Inuyasha pulled one out. "What about this one?"

Kagome shook her head. "Just saw that one two nights ago." Inuyasha put it back. Kagome chose one and looked at Inuyasha.

"Um, I saw that one with Shippo a week ago," Rin said apologetically. The movie went back and they all tried to find another one.

A small scroll appeared in front of Kagome. "Um..." When Inuyasha and Rin heard that sound, they turned to look.

Inuyasha frowned. "What is that?"

The scroll began to unroll itself and Kagome moved. It moved with her. "Sess!" Inuyasha called. "Something strange is going on."

"With you, it's always strange," he said, coming out of the kitchen.

The scroll was completely unrolled now and it began to speak. "My dearest Kagome. Your eyes are brighter than the brightest stars I could pluck from the skies and pour at your feet."

"How are you going to pour stars at someone's feet?" Inuyasha wondered out loud.

The scroll paused. "Your hair is of the darkest night which proves that you would be a wonderful love of mine for my magic is dark and powerful."

"How'd he figure that out?"

"The signs point to us as a couple."

"Ooh, you've got one who uses an astrology chart." Inuyasha snickered.

Kagome shot him a dark look. "Hey, I don't ask for these yahoos to pick me as their one true love!"

"You and I are truly the truest of loves." Inuyasha cracked up and couldn't say another word. Rin had a hand across her mouth trying not to laugh.

"Kagome, are you enjoying this?" Sesshoumaru asked. She shook her head.

The scroll was in the middle of defining her beauty according to the laws of nature when Sesshoumaru said pointedly, "Not in my house."

It evaporated. Kagome stared at the place it had been. "How did you do that?"

"Magic."

"Can I get one of those?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Most of the faculty put those spells on my house."

Kagome looked mournfully at the place the scroll had hung. "You don't think they'd do a temporary one on my dorm room?"

"No."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Sess, what do you want to watch tonight?" He opened his mouth and Inuyasha said, "Not Stargate."

"How about I, Robot?" Sesshoumaru said smoothly.

Inuyasha pulled it off the shelf. "Yeah, like you were going to say that one anyway."


	53. Chapter 53

**Some more of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic" all of you!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 53

Crushes and Satyrs

Once again, Shippo congratulated himself on choosing this particular seat. It was close to the front, but not too close. Off to the right of the center of the room and near the door.

It was also near Bonnie.

He'd had crushes before. He knew what they felt like. This was one in a long line. He could handle this.

But she spoke in class so rarely and he really enjoyed her voice, not to mention the rest of the package.

"Shippo."

He looked up suddenly. "Yes, Dorothy?"

She smirked at him. "Daydreaming? I just said that Bonnie is your partner for this exercise." She went on to pair up other students.

"Hi."

Oh, she's talking to me. Me. Bonnie. Talking. "Um, hi," he replied.

She looked down at the paper. "It's due in a week. When did you want to work on it?" She glanced at him shyly.

"This afternoon?"

She nodded. "Okay. Where?"

He immediately ruled out his dorm room and the dorm common room. "The Special? About four?"

Bonnie smiled. "I'll see you there." She packed up her things and Dorothy dismissed them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Kagome and Inuyasha had just walked into Mythological Creatures class. They'd had lunch in the cafeteria, made jokes about Sess's cookies and how many pounds they'd each put on, and how many bags of trash Kagome had hauled downstairs this week.

Mihoshi entered the room and she had a guest with her. A lot of eyes were goggling in their sockets at the strange creature.

"This," Mihoshi said, "is Anker. He's a satyr and he's come to speak to us today."

Anker smiled at them. His upper half was human, but his legs were a goat's and he had the tail, too. His feet ended in hooves and he had horns on his head.

"Satyrs are from Greece originally. We are the deities of mountains and woods. Most of our time is spent drinking, dancing, and chasing nymphs." He waggled his eyebrows. "Anker means manly."

He went on detailing what satyrs did and about the god Dionysus, the god of wine. He also winked at most of the girls and especially Kagome. Inuyasha bristled a bit at this, but Kagome ignored Anker. Human guys were bad enough. Satyrs had a bit of a reputation for the ladies.

When the class was over, Inuyasha and Kagome packed up their stuff. "So what are you doing today?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Latin homework. You?"

"Library science stuff. I have a new book to read for class."

"Excuse me," Anker said. "Might I ask if you've chosen a suitor yet?"

Kagome shook her head. "No."

"Could I persuade you to look favorably in my direction?"

Kagome winced. "Probably not, sir."

Anker sighed. "Oh, well. I'm old enough to be your great-great-great-great grandfather anyway. Thank you." He walked over to Mihoshi and began an animated conversation.

Kagome blinked. She picked up her backpack and walked calmly out of the room. Seeing that she was stunned, Inuyasha followed her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, once they were out of the building.

"I can't believe it," she muttered.

"What?"

"A satyr, who has a reputation for chasing lots of women... And what they do to them afterward is not to be dwelled upon..." She looked at him. "The satyr was easier to get rid of than the college students!"

Inuyasha began laughing. His laughter was infectious because Kagome started to laugh, too. "It's so strange," Kagome said, gasping a bit. "You would think it would be the other way around."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shippo walked into the Special and found Bonnie upstairs. His hands were sweating, but he wiped them on his jeans and slid into the other side of the booth.

She looked up, startled. "Oh. Hi."

"Hi."

They both fiddled around for a few minutes with their backpacks and didn't look at each other. The assignment was to discuss and try out a few scenarios that occur in life on a partner.

"Hi, Shippo. Did you want your usual?"

He relaxed and grinned up at Sango. "Sure." She got Bonnie's order and left to bring it to the kitchen.

The ice had been broken and they got to work. Sango stopped by with their drinks and sandwiches. They worked harder. The sodas were refilled.

Finally, the books were closed and Bonnie put her stuff back into her backpack. "This was fun," she said.

Shippo nodded. "I'll see you in class next week."

She tilted her head a little to the side. "Maybe earlier?" Shippo frowned. "Well, it was fun spending time with you. Did you want to do it again?"

Shippo couldn't think for a moment, but his head was nodding of its own accord. She grinned. "Great. Here on Friday around the same time?" He nodded again. A piece of paper was put down in front of him and he remembered her smiling at him.

He focused on the paper. There was a phone number written on it. Bonnie was above it and a little heart in the place of an 'o'.

Sango came by after their glasses. She paused and looked at Shippo. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Um... I think I just got asked out on a date."

"Really?"

"Well, she said we should meet here again on Friday because today was fun. And she gave me this." He held up the paper.

Sango grinned. "Yeah. That's a date, Shippo."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You've got a date?" Kagome said happily. "That's great! What's she like?"

Shippo shrugged. "Um... Short blond hair, green eyes, shy..."

Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully. "Is this the girl you've been mooning over for the last two months?"

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "Wait a minute. You knew he had a crush and you didn't tell me?"

"It was a secret. And what would you have done about it anyway?"

Kagome sniffed. "I'm a girl. I can give advice. I can act as a go-between. There's lots of stuff I can do. What did you tell him to do?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Ask her out if he wanted to."

Kagome sighed. "There. You see? That's a guy comment. Make conversation first. I wouldn't go out with anyone I didn't know beforehand. I want to know something about the guy before I agree to a date. And if anyone happens to be listening to this conversation that shouldn't be listening, I'd like to reintroduce the fact that I don't want to date. Period."

"Think they'll listen?"

She smiled at him. "Of course not."

"Hi, Shippo."

He turned and found Bonnie behind him. "Hi. Getting lunch?"

She nodded. "Um..." She glanced at the vacant chair next to him.

"Why don't you sit with us?" Kagome offered. "We're not talking about anything really personal."

"The mass of guys after you isn't personal?" Inuyasha teased.

"Not when they've been after me for over two years worth of college. I've had this problem escalating ever since I've been about fourteen," Kagome said primly. "Hi, Bonnie. This is Inuyasha and I'm Kagome."

Bonnie blinked. "The Source?" Kagome sighed and nodded. "It's nice to meet the both of you," she said politely.

"So what class are you and Shippo in?" Kagome asked.

"Sociology." The conversation lead on from there into impersonal small talk.


	54. Chapter 54

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 54

Poetry

Kagome opened her eyes and glared at the sunlight. How dare it wake her up this early! It's a Saturday. I get to sleep in. Why is it waking me up...?

"Morning, Kagome!"

"Argh. Why did I get a roomie that's a morning person?"

"Just lucky, I guess. Want me to fix you a bagel?"

"Oh. That's why," Kagome reminded herself. "Yes, please."

By the time Kagome was up, awake, and dressed, Rin had a blueberry bagel slathered with cream cheese for her. She accepted it gratefully and munched on it while she checked her email.

"It's Saturday," Rin reminded her.

Kagome nodded. "Studying. This afternoon. At Inuyasha's."

"Are you sure you don't-"

"No," Kagome said, cutting her off. "I do not like Inuyasha in that way. Sure, he treats me like a real person instead of just the Source. He's great to hang around with. I'll even go so far as to say he's cute. But we're not involved."

"What if he expressed an interest?"

"He's not going to."

"But what if he did?" Rin pressed.

Kagome sighed. "We're friends. Why screw it up?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"-so then he started talking about these big metal things called Gundams," Shippo said excited.

Kagome and Rin had just walked inside the house, backpacks full of homework slung over their shoulders. "What?" Kagome asked.

Shippo turned toward her. "My Experiences class. This guy came in Wednesday and talked to us about After Colony year 195 and Operation Meteor. It was really cool even if it did sound like science fiction."

Rin shook her head. "What Experiences class?"

"The one where all the people come in and talk to us about alternate realities and what they've done," Shippo said patiently. "Quatre Winner came to talk about the Gundams." He frowned. "I keep wondering if he was related to one of the pilots. He knew a lot about it that probably wouldn't be written in a history book..."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Actually, he was one of the pilots. If I'm not mistaken, he piloted the Sandrock Gundam."

Shippo's jaw fell. "What?"

"Hold it," Kagome said. "Quatre? As in the same guy who taught my business class last year?"

Sess nodded and went back to reading his book. "Well, that explains it."

"Explains what?" Sango asked, coming in the front door with Miroku following her. Shippo recounted the conversation so she could understand what was going on.

Tama jumped up on Sess's chair and settled down in his lap. Sess glanced at her under his book and shook his head a little before going back to reading.

Everyone settled down in their accustomed places. Inuyasha and Kagome claimed part of the floor, while Rin curled up on the loveseat. Shippo draped himself over the other chair in that boneless way that teenagers have. Miroku and Sango shared the couch.

No music played, but the air was filled with Shippo's soft voice reading his textbook, pencils and pens making their marks on the paper below them, and pages being turned. Tama began purring her contentment.

Since they were both doing their Mythological Creatures homework, Inuyasha and Kagome were sharing a book. They read at mostly the same pace and it was advantageous to do

it this way because when one of them got stuck on a particular section, the other could help them understand.

It's that darn conversation, Kagome decided. Yes, it's all Rin's fault.

Inuyasha scribbled something in a notebook and Kagome found herself admiring the way his hand grasped the pencil. How had he learned not to snap the pencil in half? She knew he could do it easily as a hanyou. His claws didn't make dents in the soft wood, either. Such long slender fingers...

She shook her head. No way am I thinking about this. Nope. Uh-uh.

"Problem?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "No. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "You were shaking your head over something."

"Uh... Just daydreaming." She went back to reading the book.

She glanced at him a few minutes later. Is it just me or is he closer to me than usual?

Geez, Kagome, we're reading out of the same book. You have to be close for that.

But is he closer?

Would you just leave it alone? You're not interested in him and that's the end of it!

All right. But it wouldn't hurt to scoot away. Just a few inches. Breathing room.

Kagome moved away and Inuyasha looked at her. "Well," he said quietly. "I had a shower today so that's not it. Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No."

"All right." He went back to taking notes and glanced at her again. "That time of the month?"

"Why is it that every time a girl acts a little strange, it has to be PMS?" Kagome asked him.

"So you admit that you're acting strange?" Inuyasha leaned his cheek on his hand and grinned at her.

"Oh, shut up and take your notes on centaurs."

Inuyasha flipped the page and reached toward the paper stuck in the middle. "Wait!" Kagome said. His hand froze in mid-air. "I didn't put that there."

"Then who did?"

She shrugged. "The book's brand new."

Miroku got up from the couch and diffused the paper, if it had anything magical about it at all. "Just a paper," he said finally. He picked it up and opened it. Reading silently, he nodded. "He has good taste." Miroku held the paper out to Kagome.

She accepted it and read it silently and then aloud.

Who Ever Loved That Loved Not at First Sight?

by Christopher Marlowe

It lies not in our power to love or hate,

For will in us is overruled by fate.

When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,

We wish that one should love, the other win;

And one especially do we affect

Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:

The reason no man knows; let it suffice

What we behold is censured by our eyes.

Where both deliberate, the love is slight:

Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?

Inuyasha snickered. "Someone's sending you poetry."

"And what's wrong with poetry?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing," he said, holding up his hands as if to ward her off. "Some poetry's good. That one sounds okay. It's just that some guy that you don't know is sending you poetry."

She sighed. "And it found its way into my textbook. I can't go around wearing gloves all the time. What if he puts a spell on the next one?"

Miroku thought for a moment. "If I had a couple hours, I could manage to make this particular person's letters harmless to you."

"Really?" Kagome said. "Thank you so much!"

Miroku waved away the thank yous. "It isn't a problem. A few words, a drop or two of lemon juice, and it'll be fine. I just have to find the spell again."

Kagome frowned. "Could I do it?" He nodded. "Huh. Why did my parents give me the gloves then?"

"Because do you want to handle every piece of mail that gets sent to you and do the same spell over and over?" Inuyasha asked.

"Good point," she conceded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later, Sess had finished making dinner for everyone and was now enjoying another game of chess with Rin. Kagome and Inuyasha were both pestering Shippo with questions about his dates with Bonnie. Inuyasha wasn't going to issue an invitation to him about bringing her along, but it seemed that Shippo was beginning to deepen his crush.


	55. Chapter 55

**Disclaimer: This is not my story, it is Moonsilver's. I'm uploading it to share with the many Inuyasha fans here on FFnet.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 55

A Mysterious Course

"I think they should just assign our basic courses to us and let us choose the electives," Kagome announced.

Sango looked at her from the couch. "Uh-huh. And what about our schedules? They assign me a class at eight o'clock in the morning when I have to be at work?"

Kagome grimaced. "You're right. But there ought to be a better way to do this." She examined her booklet again.

"Easier for us, though," Inuyasha commented. "Just figure in two courses a week for your major and choose the electives."

"Don't rub it in," Kagome told him.

"Of course, you've got at least two different teachers to choose from. Oh, and you've got to figure out whether to learn from a light mage or a dark mage. Or both. I guess you could do both..."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "Stop acting all philosophical. You're a light and so am I."

"How do you choose?" Rin asked.

Shippo glanced over at her from his chair. "Do you want to do good/neutral or bad/neutral is the main thing. It's not always clear."

"Now who's getting philosophical?" Inuyasha grumbled. "It's the difference between helping, not helping one or the other side more, or doing other stuff."

"Oh, that's helpful." Kagome sat up. "Rin, let me give you an example. Someone is sitting on a park bench. There's a pond right in front of them and a whole bag of bread. The light mage gives the bread to the ducks without expecting anything in return. The neutral can decide to feed the ducks or not. If they don't now, they probably will feed the ducks at some other time. The dark mage could starve the ducks. Or he could feed them with the purpose of eating a few of them. It's a point of view thing."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. "Remember that conversation we had about battle mages? A lot of them can't deal with the whole 'I'm doing this out of the good of my heart' thing. They expect to be recognized and rewarded. If they're not, they get...cranky."

Inuyasha snorted. "That's cutesy. Battle mages are some of the most temperamental people out there. They want to be known for what they can do. If they don't get it, they tend to blow stuff up."

"Not in this house," Sesshoumaru said calmly from his chair.

"Yeah, yeah. So you do the meditation stuff and go through some punching bags." Inuyasha looked back at his course schedule. "I think this year I'll do Latin II, Magic Identification, and Constructive Magic."

"Hey, I want to take that," Shippo said happily.

Inuyasha looked at him. "It's rated really high." Shippo shrugged.

"Rated?" Sango asked.

"It means that the course is difficult," Miroku told her. "Usually only fourth year students take it. Some of the third years try it in their last semester."

"But I'm good at this stuff," Shippo objected. "And... I'm not really a second year student. More like second and a half thanks to all the summer courses."

Shippo checked his list. "I'm going to try for Constructive Magic... Fill in my art requirement with Computer Graphics... Oh, and I've got to take Mythological Creatures because it's so entertaining." He grinned at Inuyasha.

"Three psychology classes," Rin began.

"Three?" Kagome screeched.

Rin nodded. "One of them is with Duo, one's with Dorothy, and someone named," Rin squinted at the word, "Sanosuke?"

"Then," she continued, "Experiences class-"

"Me, too," Sango agreed.

"-and Japanese II."

"I thought you hated that class," Kagome pointed out.

Rin shrugged. "He's not that scary. Duo says that he just doesn't show emotions that well. You have to look for them. What about everyone else's classes?"

Sango looked down at her list. "Organic Chemistry I, Evolutionary Biology, German II, Experiences, and Martial Arts. I'd like to add that Trowa doesn't do emotions, either. His German accent is good, though."

"Advanced Reference Services, Library Materials for Children, Magical Identification, and that's it for me."

"How do you get away with three classes?" Sango asked.

Kagome shrugged. "I take summer library courses."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome and Rin waited outside the Registrar's office early the next morning. It was possible to sign up for courses online and they'd already filled in their course schedules that way. But Kagome had a class added to her schedule and she wanted to know why.

"Next!"

Kagome slid into the chair and looked at the woman. "I'm already signed up for my three classes. But when I looked at the screen I had four."

"Social security number." Kagome gave it to her and she looked it up. "Unnamed class with a small footnote. It's a required course taught by Professor Duo Maxwell. If you want more information, you should go see him."

Kagome nodded to her. "Thank you. I'll go do that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I absolutely hate this. Have I mentioned that lately?"

"You've said the same phrase nine times in the past 2.35 minutes."

"I swear, one of these days you're not going to give me a precise description and I'm going to faint from the shock." Duo sat down heavily in his chair. "I hate teaching this class."

"You have to."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"You are the only person on campus with this particular ability. If one of the others taught the students, the chances of them-"

Duo waved a hand. "I know already. If I don't teach them, they've got a better chance of going bad."

Knock, knock.

Duo looked up. "Hi, ladies. Do you have a problem for me to solve?"

Kagome smiled at him. "I was signed up for a course of yours next semester, but it didn't say what it was. What's it about?"

Duo sighed. "Now that problem I can't fix. I will tell you that it's required. There will only be...eight people in the classroom. It's a very specific subject."

"Does it have anything to do with me being the Source?" Kagome asked reluctantly.

Duo shook his head. "Nope. Nothing to do with that. Just you've got an ability and you've got to learn how to do it right. It's nothing to worry about."

Kagome thanked him and left the office with Rin. Duo looked at the ceiling and groaned. "When that news gets out, she's going to be in real trouble."


	56. Chapter 56

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 56<br>Snow, Stargate, and Latin

"What the heck is going on?" Rin said aloud. "Kagome, wake up!"

Kagome woke to find herself lying curled up facing the wall. "Wha-?" Kagome said blearily. "Rin? What is it?"

"It's snowing."

"Rin, it's December. It snows in December," Kagome said dryly.

She snorted. "Yes, I know it snows in December. But usually the snow contains itself to snow outside our dorm room."

Kagome's eyes flew open and she rolled over. She blinked a few times and glanced around the room. "Okay, there is a logical explanation for this. Point one being that the snow is not piling up on the floor or sticking to anything. So it's an illusion."

She got out of bed and started toward the bookcase. "Where's that book?"

"Look, Kagome," Rin said pointing. "The snow is going around you now." She sighed. "It's a very pretty illusion. Can't we keep it?"

Kagome found the book. "No. Get Shippo to make you an illusion that we can switch on and off. Or I'll buy you a snowglobe for Christmas." She activated the spell and the snow vanished.

"There," she said finally. "Breakfast... Breakfast would be good." Rin tumbled out of bed and they began finding something. Dorm rooms didn't offer much in the way of food, though it was possible to have a hot plate to cook on.

Kagome and Rin both thought that was too much trouble. If they were hungry, the cafeteria was open or the Special would be happy for their business. So they kept some kind of fruit, soda, juice, chips, crackers, etc around. This morning, they had bagels, cream cheese, and small bowls of cereal.

A lazy Friday, Kagome thought to herself. Maybe she'd walk downtown with Rin and take a peek in the bookstore to see if they'd gotten anything new.

She was on the verge of asking Rin when the phone rang. Kagome picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Hi, Kagome. I've got a really big favor to ask."

She grinned. "Bigger than an elephant?"

"Bigger than the moon," Inuyasha said, grinning on the other end of the line.

"You know... Other guys would promise me the moon for this favor."

Inuyasha snorted. "And we all know where their letters end up. Wufei's got a test coming up. It's not the final because the professors can't give those out except on finals week. But he's giving us the option of taking a test now or a final later."

"And the favor...?"

He grimaced. "I need someone to quiz me on Latin."

"Where's Sess? Not that I won't, but why hasn't he volunteered?"

"He sucks at it."

There was a bellowed 'I do not! You're a horrible student that's all!"

Kagome laughed. "Okay. When do I need to be there?"

"As soon as possible. I'm never going to learn this all by Monday. At least I can still take the final if I want."

"I can be there in a few minutes."

Rin raised her hand and Kagome glanced at her. "You're going to Inuyasha's?" Kagome nodded. "Is Sess up for another chess game?"

Kagome relayed the question and Inuyasha got a 'yes' from Sesshoumaru. "Then we'll both be over."

"I'll be waiting to be rescued." Kagome grinned and hung up.  
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br>"Where's the knight?" Kagome called as she walked into the house.

"Languishing away," Sesshoumaru said cryptically from his chair. Kagome raised an eyebrow. "He's upstairs." Kagome turned toward the stairs and ran up them.

"Do you mind if I watch the last few minutes of the movie?" Sesshoumaru asked Rin.

"No, of course not." Rin sat down on the couch and watched along with him.

When the movie ended, she asked, "What was that?"

"Stargate. It's one of Inuyasha's favorite things to tease me about." Sesshoumaru pushed the appropriate buttons on the remote to get the dvd out of the player. He rose from the chair and found its box.

"I've never seen it," Rin confessed. "But the ending looked good."

He turned and looked at her in shock. "You've never seen the movie?" She shook her head. "Did you want to watch it?"

"You'd let me borrow it?"

"Yes, but I was talking about watching it again. They'll be studying for at least a couple hours."

"But you just watched it," she objected.

"It's one of my favorite movies that I could watch three times a day for the next hundred years and not get tired of," he assured her.

She smiled shyly. "Well... If it's all right with you."

The movie came out of the case and was popped back in the player.  
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br>Inuyasha and Kagome came downstairs almost two hours later. The end was just rolling across the screen and Sesshoumaru clicked it off as the credits began. "You watched it again?" Inuyasha said amazed. "Aren't you tired of it yet?

"Are you tired of Star Wars?" Sesshoumaru said dryly. "Besides, Rin wanted to see it. What did you think?"

Rin stared at the screen. "That was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Is there a sequel?" she asked eagerly.

"Better," Sess told her. "There's an entire TV series going into its ninth season." Rin's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, great," Inuyasha groaned. "Another Stargate fanatic. Kagome, prepare to have your dorm room taken over with episodes, posters, and paraphernalia."

"I would like to add that when you were born, dad talked mom out of decorating your nursery in Star Wars," Sess said casually. "But it was in vain. You had Star Wars bedsheets for your first bed, action figures to play with, and a lunchbox when you started school."

Kagome grinned at Inuyasha. "You had one, too?"

Inuyasha turned to look at her. "You mean, you had..."

She nodded. "Of course."

"Didn't you want, you know... girl stuff?"

Kagome frowned and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just because I went through my pink phase like every other girl doesn't mean that I didn't like typically guy stuff, too. Transformers, He-Man, digging in the dirt..."

Rin nodded. "Yup. Give me a bucket and a shovel and I was happy digging a hole to China. Now about these episodes..."

"We'll discuss the terms over lunch," Sess decided. "What does everyone want?"  
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br>In the end, Rin took home the first dvd from the first season's boxset. Sess and Rin watched the first episode together and then went ahead with their chess game. Rin quizzed him on who everyone was. Inuyasha was tortured by Latin and Kagome agreed to come over the next day to help him.

They were on their way home when Rin said, "You know what I've noticed?"

"What?"

"In high school, we had our own little groups. Girls with girls, boys with boys. Though, there were a few groups that were mixed." Rin frowned. "But at college, it doesn't matter. I mean, we still have our separate groups, but everyone doesn't point and go 'oh, you two are going out, aren't you' when you hang around a guy."

Kagome nodded. "That's true."


	57. Chapter 57

**Just for you, ****_kichonakagome23466_****, here are two more uploads.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 57

Christmas Preparations

"Merry Christmas!" Kagome caroled.

Inuyasha turned to look at her. "Not for another two weeks, it isn't."

She snorted and bounced over to an available electrical outlet in the living room. She plugged the stereo in and Bing Crosby began to play. "Get into the mood, Inuyasha."

"I'm in the Christmas mood," he said. "I'm volunteering to haul the tree down, aren't I?"

"That you did," Sesshoumaru said. "Cookies are in the oven still."

Inuyasha grumbled but headed up the stairs to get the tree. Kagome snickered at him and waved hello to Sango and Miroku as they came in the door. "Oi!" Inuyasha yelled down the stairs. "I could use some help, Miroku."

"Anything to assist," he said gallantly. "Provided that it furthers the festivities."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but together they got the tree down. Sesshoumaru began hauling cookies out of his oven to cool. Rin started to help him decorate them as soon as they were cool enough. Kagome almost laughed herself sick over the guys and the Christmas lights. Sango just shook her head and chatted with Shippo.

"You know what would be easier this year?" Kagome said suddenly.

"What?" Sango asked.

"Well, last year we ran around trying to get presents for everyone. Most of us found someone else who pitched in toward a present."

Shippo nodded. "Mm-hm?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if we all decided what to get each other, pool the money, and go buy the present?"

Sango nodded slowly. "How would we decide?"

Kagome looked around. "Everyone's here. We could meet in the kitchen and send the other person somewhere else in the house..."

"Or we could talk here, lay a spell of silence on the person, and blindfold them so they couldn't read lips," Sesshoumaru said, bearing the first plate of cookies. "Someone could note who was going to buy which present and get the money to them."

"Good idea," Kagome said. "Well?"

Everyone agreed and Sess found a notebook for them to write on. Sesshoumaru laid the spell on Shippo and handed him a blindfold. Once it was assured that the kitsune wouldn't hear them, they began sorting out his present.

"What does he want?" Kagome said, pencil poised.

As a group, they shrugged. Finally, it came out that Shippo wanted a set of movies.

Miroku was next in line and Sango piped up right away. "There's a spell book he's been eying in Book in Bloom." She pressed a hand to her forehead. "It's on the third shelf... Blue binding... I cannot remember the title, but I know what it looks like."

Since Sango was the only one who knew what the book looked like, it was decided that she'd go and buy it for him.

The blindfold slipped over Sango's eyes and Kagome and Rin both started talking about a particular necklace she'd been eyeing. "I'll pick it up," Rin volunteered.

When it was Rin's turn, Inuyasha snorted. "I think we know what she wants." He looked pointedly at Sesshoumaru. "You've turned her into a Stargate fanatic."

So Rin's gift was to be Stargate SG-1: Season One. Kagome raised her hand a little and said, "I'll go buy the movies for Shippo and Rin. Saves a trip."

Sesshoumaru was a difficult person to buy for, but Inuyasha mentioned that he wanted a set of calligraphy pens and the paper to go with them from the art shop downtown. He shrugged and said that he'd pick them up.

Inuyasha played a particular computer game all the time at Shippo's dorm room, so his present was easy to decide. Shippo would go get the game.

They discussed Kagome's present until they were almost arguing, but finally decided on something Inuyasha had seen.

When the gifts had been decided on, they began to decorate the tree with its ornaments. Sesshoumaru ducked out occasionally to get more cookies out of the oven, but he was there for the most part.

The new addition this year was to add twinkle lights to the trees and bushes outside. Sesshoumaru, being the tallest person there, put the lights up over the door to the porch. Miroku and Sango tackled one tree while Shippo and Rin did the other. Inuyasha took one side of the bushes and Kagome took the other.

Of course, with snow on the ground, the inevitable happened. Even if there wasn't much snow.

"Ah!" Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "You didn't."

"I did," he said smugly.

She sighed. "So childish. You really shouldn't throw bits of snow at people." She walked calmly inside the house.

Inuyasha looked around. "Um... What just happened?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find out."

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They were finished with the lights and walked inside. Inuyasha stood in the porch, taking off his snowy boots when Kagome came to the door. "Are you mad?" he asked.

She smiled sweetly and shook her head. He relaxed. She held out a can in front of her and depressed the button. Stuff squirted out of it and Inuyasha held up his hands to ward it off.

Kagome released the button and smirked. He was covered in pink strands and his hair was absolutely...sticky. "On the other hand, Silly String is much better to be childish with." He growled and she ran. He chased her into the kitchen where she ran out the side door. He stopped on the edge of the doorway and realized... No boots.

She ran in through the back door and smiled at him. "Shouldn't you be taking a shower before that stuff really gets icky?"

"You just wait until spring gets here. You are so going to get water-ballooned," he threatened.

She stuck out her tongue. "Take your best shot. I think I'll be getting the better half of the bargain, though."

"How?"

"If I hit you with a water balloon, I'd have to smell wet dog all day," she teased.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower now, so you'll have to smell it anyway." He walked into the bathroom and firmly shut the door.

"Men," Kagome muttered.

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So money exchanged hands and they all went after their presents. Shippo and Kagome hitched a ride with Inuyasha even though they were all buying presents for each other. "How are we going to work this?" Kagome asked. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm buying a present for one of the people in this car."

"Same here," Shippo piped up.

"My present is in the Christmas part of the store," Inuyasha told them. "So I'll check out there."

Shippo nodded. "My present is in electronics." He glanced at Kagome.

She shook her head. "So's mine."

"Okay," he said. "I'll go get mine and sit in the restaurant part. When you see me do that, you can go buy your presents." Kagome agreed. It was in this way that no one saw what their present was ahead of time.


	58. Chapter 58

**A Christmas chapter! And only a month late. -snicker-**

**Again, this isn't my story but Moonsilver's. Hope ya'll continue to enjoy.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 58

Christmas

Shippo knocked hesitantly on Bonnie's door. They'd been dating for a month and a half now. The crush he had enjoyed had slowly begun turning to something deeper.

She opened the door and smiled at him. "Come in," she said, moving out of the way. "I've got your present."

Shippo silently held out a prettily wrapped box and she accepted it happily. Bonnie didn't know it, but inside was a small box covered in a blue lilies material. Nestled snugly inside was a pair of earrings from Muted Twilight.

"Merry Christmas," she said, presenting him with a small flat box. It had a bow on the top and a card attached by two pieces of tape. "Don't open it until later, okay?"

Shippo nodded. "All right. I'll see you after vacation?" She smiled at him. She glanced at the huge pile of notebooks and textbooks and Shippo took the hint. He walked out of her room with his present in hand. I'll open it tonight at Inuyasha's, he thought.

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"The concert was so much fun!" Rin told Sesshoumaru.

He nodded and stirred the gravy. "I would have gone this year, but I had a meeting." Rin continued to tell him about the music, while Inuyasha and Kagome searched the shelves for the dvd of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

"Merry Christmas!" Sango and Miroku said in unison as they came inside the house.

"Oh, good! Reinforcements." Kagome gestured to the shelves. "Somehow the two guys have lost a dvd."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "We found the Peanuts one, the Garfield one, Frosty the Snowman..."

"But not Rudolph," Kagome told him.

With four people looking, the search ended quickly. "No Rudolph," Kagome said mournfully. Inuyasha held up a dvd and she cheered up. "That'll do. The Grinch will do."

"The animated or the live action?" Sango inquired.

"Animated."

Miroku sniffed the air. "Something smells good."

Inuyasha grinned. "Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, corn, biscuits, cookies..."

Kagome closed her eyes. "Sounds great."

"It's almost ready," Sesshoumaru called out to the living room. "The biscuits have got another few minutes to bake and someone's got to carve some of the ham off."

Miroku pressed a hand to his heart. "If someone must wield a knife..."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Oh, just go. I'd love some ham."

He blinked. "I must be a comedian?" Sango laughed and pushed him gently toward the kitchen.

Shippo walked inside to see them standing together. He smiled and walked to the tree to add Bonnie's present to him underneath it.

"More presents? If that tree gets any more under it, it's going to be a prima donna tree."

Kagome snorted. "That would be kind of hard to do, Inuyasha. I can't believe you've misplaced that movie."

He shrugged. "It could be upstairs somewhere."

"Dinner is ready!" Sesshoumaru said loudly. The people in the living room came into the kitchen and found their seats ready for them. Everything was on the table except for the individual drinks. There were a few minutes of glasses being filled with milk, juice, and soda before they sat down.

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After everyone had eaten their fill, they went out to the living room to open their presents. Everyone had gotten a large present, but there had been small additions under the tree. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru handed out the presents and large tin buckets of cookies and candies.

Instead of everyone unwrapping their presents at once, they went in a circle this time. Sango was first and she immediately turned to Miroku so he could put the necklace on. While he was doing that, she unwrapped the second package. "Oh," she breathed.

"Like it?" Miroku asked calmly.

"I love it," Sango said, twisting the barrette this way and that. It had a large green butterfly in the center with a green stone at the butterfly's middle. Two smaller butterflies were on the sides. She took her hair out of its ponytail and fastened her hair at the back of her neck with his gift.

Miroku followed after Sango and grinned at her after he opened his spell book. "Thank you," he told everyone. He opened his second package and smiled wryly. "Am I that transparent?"

Sango nodded. "Yup."

"What is it?" Shippo asked.

He held up a package of socks. "I've been complaining about socks for the past month." He kissed Sango on the cheek. "My toes thank you for preventing frostbite."

Sesshoumaru opened his packages next. He nodded approvingly over the calligraphy supplies and his eyes widened when he saw what was in the second package.

"I know you said something about those," Inuyasha said casually. "Did I get it right?"

He lifted the gloves out of the box and tried them on. "Perfect," he said. "Thank you, little brother."

Kagome hid a smirk. She had gone with Inuyasha and knew that those weren't just gloves. They were fitted especially to Sesshoumaru's hand, would never get wet, and wouldn't tear or wear out for at least ten years.

Inuyasha opened his box next. His eyes flew to Shippo and he raised his glass to Inuyasha. "Now you can play your own game," he said cheerfully.

The second package he opened, he looked at Kagome. She shrugged. "You like puzzles." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but thanked her for the book on mazes and labyrinths.

Kagome hauled the large box onto her lap. "Careful," Inuyasha cautioned. "It's breakable." She glanced at him. "I've had it out of the box to make sure it wasn't broken."

She unwrapped the box and gasped. "I've never seen one before."

"Me, neither," he told her. "I thought you might enjoy it."

She nodded. "Thank you very much!" She put the box down and hugged him. Since they were both sitting on the floor, that was an awkward maneuver, but she managed it. "I should probably leave it in the box until I get home..."

"Then let us see the box," Sango coaxed. Kagome turned the front picture toward them. It was a library. Inuyasha had found her a ceramic lighted library, like the kind that goes in holiday villages.

Kagome opened her second present and found a large bag of gumdrops from Rin.

Rin went next and shrieked when she opened Stargate SG-1: Season One. Kagome's second present to her was a box of pretty notecards she'd seen in the Plaid Patch.

Shippo sighed dramatically. "I guess I'm last." He had three presents near him. He thanked everyone for the movie set and clutched the huge bag of M&M's maniacally.

"This one is from Bonnie," he said. He put the card aside and opened the package. He kept his face from falling, but only just.

"What is it?" Kagome asked. He held up a tie. "Huh. Why'd she pack that in such a big box?"

Shippo shook his head and opened the Christmas card. On the other side of the card, he read:

Shippo,

Merry Christmas! I hope you're opening this later. I don't really know how to tell you this, but I do want you to know that I've had a lot of fun on our dates. You're cute and funny and if I didn't...

Dang this is hard. When I got accepted to college, my boyfriend and I made an agreement that we could date on campus, but that we'd still be together. I've had a great time being with you, but I'm going home to my boyfriend this break. I hope you understand.

Bonnie

Shippo sat there for a few seconds. Then he got up and walked into the kitchen. Rin glanced at the card beside her, but refused the temptation to read it.

He dialed her number and waited until she answered. "Bonnie, this is Shippo. No, I don't understand."

On the other end of the line, she winced. "Um... Shippo, I'm going home to be with my boyfriend. I'm breaking up with you."

Shippo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Why?"

"It's not anything you've done-"

"No! Why date me when..."

She squirmed. "Because I really liked you and enjoyed being with you, but I love him."

Shippo shook his head. "All right."

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"No," he said and hung up. He stood there by the phone, staring at the wall.

Inuyasha got up from the floor and walked out to the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway beside the phone. "Something wrong?" he asked quietly.

Shippo nodded and swallowed hard. "Bonnie," he whispered.

He didn't say anything for a few moments and Inuyasha finally asked, "Did you want to go home?" Shippo shook his head. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Read the card," he croaked and turned toward the bathroom.

Inuyasha let him escape and went back to the living room. He grabbed the card and read it silently. He snorted when he reached the end.

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"Bonnie's been dating Shippo, but she had a boyfriend at home that she's gone back to," Inuyasha ground out.

Kagome gasped. "She did what?" She looked out into the kitchen. "Poor Shippo..."

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When he returned to the living room, no one said anything about the dark circles around his eyes. They gave him worrying looks, but didn't broach the topic. They watched The Grinch and Inuyasha finally found Rudolph. They ate tons of cookies and more than one trip was made to the kitchen for leftovers.

Miroku drove Sango back to her house and Inuyasha did the same with Kagome and Rin. They both told Shippo that he'd be all right before they left. When only Inuyasha and Shippo were in the car, he asked suddenly, "Did you want me to hex her?"

Shippo laughed and shook his head. "All right," Inuyasha said amiably. "Just asking."


	59. Chapter 59

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 59

Third Year, Spring Semester, First Day

Kagome woke up the sounds of Rin getting ready for her first class. She smiled and waved from her bed as the other girl walked out the door.

Yawning, she pushed the comforter back and got up. Email first, she thought. Then I'll get dressed and have some breakfast...

She closed her eyes and groaned as she saw what awaited her. Propped up on her keyboard was a notecard. With a sigh, she got her gloves and looked at it.

The Rose in the Deeps of his Heart

by William Butler Yeats

All things uncomely and broken,

all things worn-out and old,

The cry of a child by the roadway,

the creak of a lumbering cart,

The heavy steps of the ploughman,

splashing the wintry mould,

Are wronging your image that blossoms

a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The wrong of unshapely things

is a wrong too great to be told;

I hunger to build them anew

and sit on a green knoll apart,

With the earth and the sky and the water,

remade, like a casket of gold

For my dreams of your image that blossoms

a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The same guy, she realized. Miroku's already fixed this one so I can touch it. And he has good taste in poetry.

She still tossed it into the trashbag that was waiting to be taken downstairs. Email, she thought firmly.

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Her first class of the year and it was the one that Duo was teaching. The mysterious class, Kagome thought chuckling. No one I've talked to knows what it is or at least they're not telling me.

She walked into class twenty minutes early and took a seat in the small room. She counted the chairs and came up with an extremely low number, only eight chairs and one for the teacher.

It's nothing to do with me being the Source of Magic, she thought to herself. I've got an ability that no one has told me about before. Okay. I can deal with this. Source of Magic, guys after me 24/7, usually a low to medium level magical ability, and this. Whatever this is.

The students slowly trickled in. There was only one other girl besides Kagome and they sat together. No one knew why they were here.

Duo walked in at three minutes of one and smiled at them. He dumped his briefcase on the desk and hopped up on it. His legs dangled down and he glanced at the clock. "We're all here, so does anyone mind if we start early?"

No one disagreed. He rubbed his hands together briskly and nodded. "Good. I'm pretty sure you're all curious about why you're here. Because of the strangeness of this course, let's do the introductions first and then I'll start talking."

Kagome learned the names of her classmates and found out that they were mostly from different years. There were three seniors, two freshmen, two sophomores, and she was the only junior.

Duo nodded. "I'm Duo Maxwell. I mostly teach psychology courses, but once every four years I teach this course."

He sighed. "Now, I do ask that you not think you're crazy, that I'm crazy, or the college is crazy. Please do not run out of the room. If you feel like you're going to faint, tell me."

"This class is the Necromancy course offered by the college every four years. For those of you who don't know what necromancy is... Simply put, it's the ability to raise the dead. This is typically seen as a dark art, but not if you do it right."

Duo looked around the classroom and into the eyes of every person there. Shock, disbelief, and fear. "You are not evil," he told them. "It's an uncommon ability. There are natural ways to practice necromancy and unnatural. The natural way is to be born with it. The unnatural is to get someone to do it for you or to make an agreement with something that will let you do it yourself."

"Questions?" Duo asked.

Kagome raised her hand. "What is 'doing it right'?"

"Good question. The difference between the right way and the wrong way is choice. The right way is to go out to a graveyard or a gravesite and ask. Something along the lines of, 'I've got a problem. Do you think you could help me out?' is acceptable."

"The wrong way is to go to a grave and say 'Vile wraith, awake and do my bidding!'" Duo shook his head. "It's a matter of asking and ordering. There are some very friendly people who just happen to be dead."

"Another matter to discuss is this. If you do it the wrong way, the punishment is not nice. It isn't death, but most of you know that the penalties for practicing magic aren't all sunshine and butterflies."

"So," Duo said, clapping his hands together, "what we'll do in this class is study necromancy. It's not all raising the dead. You're going to learn about both the right way and the wrong way so you'll know what you're doing. You'll study the necromancers of the past and present, learn about people who are dead and willing to talk to you, and the proper way to go about raising a person. They are still people and we all need to remember that."

"One thing you might be concerned about is actually raising a person. For your final exam, you have the option of raising a person or writing a paper. Most choose the paper."

He looked around at them. "I want to stress this. You do not ever have to practice necromancy. That's not the reason you are taking this course. The magical community has had a large problem with necromancy in the past. In today's society, you are trained in the right way to do it, if you ever choose to. There are people who have the ability and never use it. In fact, the majority don't."

He turned and retrieved the papers. "Here's the syllabus and my contact information. If you have a problem, come and see me."

When everyone had the papers in front of them, he read the information off, touching on the assignments and the normal things that were in every syllabus on campus. "It's an early dismissal, but you've had a shock and we don't have that much to do today. If you want to stay and talk to each other, that's fine. Does anyone have any questions for me?" Duo asked patiently.

"Isn't this against God?" one of the guys asked.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. What I've been told is simple. The people we raise are dead. Their soul has left. Where it has gone to, I don't have a clue. But when we ask something of those people, their soul returns to them for the time that they're raised. They chose to return and we didn't force them. If God didn't want us to talk to them, why is their soul there?" Duo shrugged. "It's beyond me."

"What about the ones at the Halloween party?" Kagome said softly.

He slowly nodded. "Naraku does not have the power to raise. He borrowed it from something else. He chose to have them look that way. Normally, when you raise a person, they look different. Some look younger than when they died, some look the same. You can't ask a person you raise about Heaven or Hell. They won't answer you. To me, that says something."

There weren't any more questions and the whole classroom got up and left.

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Kagome stared at the ceiling. I can raise the dead.

Now that is not something I'm going to put on my resume.

Did mom and dad know this?

Yes, Kagome. I can see them trying to broach that subject.

She got up and put on her coat. I've got to talk to someone about this.

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"What?" Inuyasha stared at her. She nodded. "Huh," he said finally. "I wouldn't've thought you'd be one." Her eyes widened. "Hey, I don't have anything against necromancers. There's a lot of stuff that's weirder out there."

She shrugged. "I have no idea what to think. I can raise the dead."

He nodded. "Yeah. But it's not like you have to use it. You're not evil and-" He stopped. "Oh, that could be bad."

"What, me not being evil?" she said wryly.

"No. Necromancy is still seen as something that could be a dark art. It's like being a battle mage. You've got a lot of them that go bad." He frowned and thought for a moment. "There was something... About ten years ago, someone raised an entire army somewhere. I remember someone talking about it."

He shrugged. "I'll ask Sess when he gets home." He looked at her. "But the dark mages are going to be after you even more now. It's like a sign that you're meant for one of them."

Kagome winced. "That's just great."


	60. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer: This is the unedited Moonsilver story "Source of Magic" -written by them and not me several years ago- shared with of you, the Inuyasha fans.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic

Chapter 60

Saturday Studying and Conversations

"Okay, the course discussion begins," Kagome announced. "Who wants to go first?"

Sango raised her hand. "Two classes with Little Washu, German II with Trowa, and Martial Arts with Ranma. Little Washu's the same, Trowa's as silent as ever, and Ranma's cocky." She shrugged. "All in all, a good group of classes."

"What about Experiences?" Rin asked. "That one's good, too."

Sango nodded. "Sure is. Interesting, at least."

Rin smiled. "Three psychology courses, Japanese, and Experiences. And now I know what everyone means when they mention Dorothy's eyebrows."

Kagome snickered. "They are something, aren't they?"

"Mm-hm. Duo's got one of the other psychology courses and the third..." She picked up her soda. "Well, he's... Very tall. His hair sticks up like a rooster's comb. He speaks slang a lot, but he's covering the material okay."

"What does he teach?" Kagome asked.

"Industrial/Organizational psychology. Heero's class is fascinating."

"Not having any more problems?" Sango said, eyebrow raised.

She shook her head. "Nope. He's much more relaxed with this class. He knows all of us now."

Shippo took his turn next. "Two Illusion and Deceptive Tactics, Mythological Creatures, Constructive Magic, and Computer Graphics. Mihoshi is..."

Kagome laughed. "Yeah, we know. She's insane and a little clumsy."

Shippo nodded. "Computer Graphics is great. There's a girl called Skuld teaching it. I don't know how old she is, but I'd swear she's younger than I am."

"What about Constructive Magic?" Miroku asked.

Shippo grimaced. "I think I'm going to enjoy it, but it's going to be a lot of work."

"We'll be doing the same assignment, so you can come over here and work on it," Inuyasha offered gruffly. "I've got two Battle Magic, Latin with Wufei, Constructive Magic with Kaoru Koganei, and Magic I.D."

"Wufei's the same as he was last semester. Kaoru is a strange little guy that has way too much energy. Tokio, though... We met her Halloween before last, remember? The ouija board mess. She's the one teaching Magical Identification."

Kagome sighed. "Two library classes, Magic I.D., and the mystery class."

"What's that?" Sango asked.

Kagome swallowed hard. "Um..." She looked at the floor. "Necromancy."

"What?" Sango said faintly.

Shippo shook his head slowly. "No way."

"Yeah," Kagome said. "Duo's teaching it. He says that most people who can do it, don't use it at all. It's just a precaution to learn it in case..."

Miroku took up the conversation. "Back in the old days, it was seen as something dark because people didn't like to think of their loved ones walking around. Today it is taught in classrooms so it can be regulated. People didn't understand and the people who could raise the dead didn't know the right way to do it. That's why it was seen as a dark art."

He smiled at Kagome. "Now we teach the right way and hopefully it will become something neutral. It isn't anything to hide, Kagome."

Inuyasha snorted. "Why hide it? Are you planning on using it?" Kagome's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Then it's just a precaution. Don't worry about it."

He held up his object and stared at it. "So how are we supposed to tell if this bit of wood is magical or not?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Way to change the subject, Inuyasha."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? Are we going to study or not?"

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Shippo walked back to his dorm after dinner at Sesshoumaru's. He'd gotten help from Inuyasha with Constructive Magic, finished his reading in Mythological Creatures, and created his illusion for his major.

"Now," he muttered to himself, "all I've got left is Computer Graphics and I'll wind that up tomorrow."

He slid his passcard through the device and walked in the door. Homework mostly done, he'd had dinner, and now he was going to get this heavy backpack off his shoulder and-

Shippo stopped and stared at the person outside his room. "Hi," she said shyly.

"Hi," he replied.

She gave him an uncertain smile. "I guess you're wondering why I'm here."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Do you mind if I go put this down?" He tugged on the strap of his backpack and she shrugged. Shippo unlocked the door and saw that Jinenji was out.

Bonnie followed him inside and cleared her throat. "My boyfriend and I broke up over Christmas break." Shippo didn't react to that except to look at her.

She bit her lip. "I wanted to know if there was... I really liked being around you."

Shippo thought for a second and made his decision. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend," he told her. "But I can't."

She looked at the floor and swallowed. "Oh."

They stood there for another couple minutes before Bonnie finally said, "Um, I'll see you around." She fled the room and Shippo sat down on his bed.

Before long, Jinenji came back to the room, clutching a soda. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Bonnie was here."

He nodded. "I know. I was here when she knocked on the door looking for you. I thought I'd give you some privacy."

"Thanks."

Jinenji sat down on his bed and looked at his small roommate. "What happened?"

Shippo shrugged. "She and her boyfriend broke up over break. She wanted to see if I'd be a replacement. I told her no." He looked at the ceiling. "Was that wrong?"

Jinenji slowly shook his head. "No. She dated two people at once without telling one of them. She loved him, but not a month after their breaking up, she wants you back. It would not be a stable relationship."

Shippo sighed softly and grinned at the other guy. "I love your perspective."

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Kagome stepped inside the dorm room alone. Rin was down the hall getting a snack from the machine. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Rin caught up with her a few seconds later. "Something wrong?" she asked. She looked inside the room and grinned. "Oh, please read the card."

Kagome walked inside and plucked the card from the bouquet. She read it aloud. "Your dark nature calls out to mine. Please meet me here. Blah, blah, blah." She examined the bouquet. "Black roses mixed with belladonna or deadly nightshade, meadow saffron, and aconite. These definitely go into the trash." She tipped it into a bag by holding onto the plastic. "I've got to go wash my hands. You, too."

Rin followed her. "What were they? I only recognized the roses."

"The roses are fine, but the others..." Kagome paused. "Those three are poisons. Either someone was trying to make me really sick or thought I'd do something else with them."

Rin winced. "This class of yours isn't your favorite, is it?"

"Not with presents like those."


	61. Chapter 61

**As I've said nigh innumerable times, dear ****_kichonakagome23466_****, this isn't my story. It was written by Moonsilver several years ago, I don't control any events. lol This is unedited, left just as it was originally written.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 61<br>Valentine's Day

"The poetry's nice, but it's beginning to scare me."

Rin nodded as she picked up her tray from the stack. "Where was it this morning?"

Kagome selected a danish and added it to her tray. "It was propped up on my bureau. Hang on a minute." She wrestled her backpack around and pulled the front zipper open. She withdrew the paper and handed it to Rin.

Sonnet CXVI  
>by William Shakespeare<br>Let me not to the marriage of true minds  
>Admit impediments. Love is not love,<br>Which alters when it alteration finds,  
>Or bends with the remover to remove.<br>Oh, no! it is an ever-fixed mark  
>That looks on tempests.. and is never shaken.<br>It is the star to every wandering bark  
>Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.<br>Love is not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
>Within his bending sickle's compass come.<br>Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
>But bears it out.. even to the edge of doom.<br>If this be error and upon me proved,  
>I never writ, nor no man ever loved.<p>

Rin nodded and held it out to her. "Good poetry."

"Yeah. Can't go wrong with Shakespeare," Kagome muttered. "It's just that they show up everywhere! How is he doing it? Who is he? Why won't he leave me alone?"

Rin shrugged. "Why won't every guy on campus leave you alone?"

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Rin answered the door that evening to find Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha outside. She gave them a puzzled look and Inuyasha grinned. He held up a large tupperware container. "I come bearing gifts." She smiled and moved out of the way.

Rin walked to her computer chair while Sango and Miroku sat down on her bed. Kagome was standing by her closet when they came in and Shippo quickly claimed her chair. "Are we too late?" Shippo said eagerly.

"Too late for what?" Kagome asked, putting her coat away.

"The Valentine's Day madness."

Kagome's brow wrinkled and she opened her mouth to ask what he meant when a dozen red roses appeared on the bureau. Her eyes narrowed. She picked it up firmly by the base and dumped it into a trash bag.

"That madness," Shippo said pointedly.

She threw up her hands. "I've gone through one trash bag today and that one's half filled. There will be more."

Inuyasha glanced at her bed. "And your bed's not cleaned off."

She took a deep breath and said calmly, "I know. I'm trying." She took another handful off the bed and pushed it into the trashbag.

When a corner finally appeared, Inuyasha sat down. "Any bets on how many of these are sincere?" he asked dubiously.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Doesn't matter." He looked at her. "Oh..." She sat down on the floor with a huff. "Some of them might want to get to know me. But when a girl honestly says no and keeps saying no, it's hard to be nice to any of them. I've been here two and a half years. I've never given them encouragement. I've never been out on a date. I'm getting tired of hauling trash bags downstairs." She resumed stuffing papers into the bag.

She sat down on her bed and looked around. "Sorry I'm in such a bad mood."

"I think we can forgive you," Miroku said dryly.

Inuyasha handed her the container that he had behind his back. "Maybe this'll cheer you up."

Kagome pried the lid open with her fingertips and looked inside. Heart-shaped cookies, covered in light pink icing and dusted with red sugar greeted her eyes. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Kenshin baked them. I think I brought enough for everyone."

She withdrew one slim cookie and bit into it. Closing her eyes, she sighed in adoration. "I absolutely love his cookies." Kagome took two more from the container and passed it around.

Once it left Inuyasha's hands to go to Shippo, she leaned sideways and hugged Inuyasha quickly. "Thank you. I'm cheered up now." She let him go and munched on another cookie.

A mixed bouquet appeared on the floor and two heart-shaped boxes popped into existence on her bed. Kagome scowled at them. "You know one of the really bad points about this whole thing?"

"You're spending all your money to buy more trashbags?" Shippo asked cheekily.

"That, too. But the point I was thinking of is... I like chocolate. These are fancily wrapped chocolate boxes and I can't have any of it because they might be filled with love potions or something." Kagome looked mournfully at the chocolates. "Besides, I'd rather have candy bars. Whenever I actually get one of the mixed assortments, I throw at least half of the box out."

Rin nodded. "Chocolate-covered nuts that you don't eat."

"Or coconut," Sango said, making an awful face.

"Those little chocolate-covered cherries," Inuyasha added.

"Toffee chips." They all looked at Shippo. "So? They stick to my teeth."

Miroku shrugged. "I like all of it."

The whole group stuck around for five more bouquets, eight candy boxes, miscellaneous stuffed animals, and a large number of notes. Miroku and Sango went to their own Valentine's Day dinner. Shippo had an online chat he was supposed to be at. Inuyasha gave the ever-present homework as a reason.

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Rin started reading her email after they left and ignoring the thumps as more things were added to the trashbag. Kagome was trying to read a chapter in her textbook for tomorrow's class, but she had to pause every so often to throw something else away.

She was two pages from the end when there was a knock at the door. Rin was in the shower, so Kagome got up and went to the door. She opened it to see Inuyasha standing there. "Forget something?" she asked.  
>He shook his head. "No." She moved away from the door and he came inside. "Uh... Here." He held out a paper bag and she caught it.<p>

She gave him an inquiringly look, but he only said, "Open it."

With a shrug, Kagome unwrapped the folded over top and peeked inside. It was a little dark, but she thought she saw letters. She turned to her bed and dumped the contents out. Candy bars spilled out over her blanket.

"You were kind of unhappy, so I thought..." Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck. "It was stupid."

Butterfinger Crunch, Kit-Kat, Reese's cups, and Sky Bars. Kagome smiled and looked at him. "No. It wasn't stupid." She reached for the Reese's cups and unwrapped one of the packages.

"You can check it if you want. I mean... You know. I checked all of them before I came up."

She snorted and took off the black wrapping paper. "I trust you." She looked into his eyes as she said it and bit down on the peanut butter treat.

When her mouth was empty, she put the candy down and walked the few steps to where he stood. She reached out and hugged him again. After a few seconds, his arms came around her and gently squeezed back. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome." They stayed like that for a short while. Inuyasha let her go suddenly and backed away. Kagome gave him a puzzled look, but Rin walked in the room a few moments later. "Hi, Inuyasha," she said.

"Hi, Rin." He looked at Kagome. "I'd better be getting home. I told Sess I'd be back half an hour ago." Kagome nodded and Inuyasha left the room.

"Hey." Rin noticed the candy on her bed. "Who's the candy from?"

"Inuyasha."

Rin raised one eyebrow. "Inuyasha bought you candy on Valentine's Day and you still say there isn't anything going on?"

"There isn't."

Rin snickered. "Whatever you say."


	62. Chapter 62

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 62<br>Control

Their eyes bounced back and forth between Rin and Sango as they acted out what had happened in their Experiences class.

"Washu said something about Ryoko's class."

"Ryoko pointed out that she hadn't had a student fall asleep in months."

"Washu told her that the student fell asleep because they'd been up all night working on another professor's paper."

"Then Ayeka snipped at Ryoko about her class material."

"Ryoko tossed a fireball at Ayeka."

"Ayeka had these little salt and pepper shaker things appear around her."

"Half the class dove under their desks."

"But Washu put a force shield around them and continued with the lecture." Rin and Sango beamed at each other. "It was one of the best classes," Sango finished. "But strange."

"Speaking of strange..." Rin looked at Kagome knowingly. "Any more poetry?"

Kagome sighed and pulled out a piece of paper. "I heard it crackling under my pillow this morning."

A Red, Red Rose  
>Robert Burns<p>

O my luve's like a red, red rose.  
>That's newly sprung in June;<br>O my luve's like a melodie  
>That's sweetly play'd in tune.<p>

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,  
>So deep in luve am I;<br>And I will love thee still, my Dear,  
>Till a'the seas gang dry.<p>

Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,  
>And the rocks melt wi' the sun:<br>I will luve thee still, my Dear,  
>While the sands o'life shall run.<p>

And fare thee weel my only Luve!  
>And fare thee weel a while!<br>And I will come again, my Luve,  
>Tho' it were ten thousand mile!<p>

Inuyasha gave a low whistle. "The guy either seriously likes you or he's deranged."

Kagome giggled. "I'm voting for the second choice. I find these things everywhere."

He shook his head and moved down to the next thing on his assignment list. Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I absolutely hate this assignment."

"Why? What is it?" Kagome asked him.

"In battle magic, I've got to practice a control spell. It's one of the stronger ones to work and I have to have a volunteer." He raised his eyes to the sky. "It's the volunteer part I don't like. I'm just supposed to ask someone if they'd like to walk into my class and let me control them?"

"Plus there are only two class sessions where we can do it. Monday from 9-11:30 and Tuesday from 8-10:30. Sess is working."

Sango shook her head. "Experiences on Monday and Chemistry on Tuesday."

"Me, neither. I'm booked with classes," Miroku added.

"Experiences and Social Psychology," Rin piped up.

"And I've got Mythological Creatures and Computer Graphics." Shippo flipped a page in his textbook. "You're kind of out of luck."

"Kagome can't because she's not affected by most magic." Inuyasha sagged. "Now this is a problem."

She nodded. "It's true that most spells don't work on me. Except for the occasional one that somehow slips beneath my radar." Kagome tilted her head a slight fraction to the right. "Do you know the spell?"

"Yeah."

"Can you cast it now?"

"Sure, but-"

"If you promise not to make me do something stupid..." She grinned. "Go ahead."

He frowned. "But it won't work."

She looked at him innocently. "You said you could do the spell. Why wouldn't it work?"

Inuyasha shrugged and rummaged in his backpack for the instructions. He read them over again to make sure he had them correct.

Finally, he held up his hands, spoke the words, made the mystical passes, and watched Kagome carefully. At first, nothing seemed to happen. The spell was completed and Kagome stiffened slightly. "Kagome, recite the alphabet," Inuyasha ordered.

Kagome opened her mouth and began. "A, B, C, D..."

When she finished, Inuyasha took the spell off and she blinked several times. "Did it work?"

Inuyasha slowly nodded. "How?"

Kagome shook her head rapidly. "Whoa. You didn't tell me it would make me dizzy." She reached for her soda and drank. "Okay. How did it work? I can answer that."

"Most spells don't work on me because they're cast by someone I don't trust. The ones that do work, like that enchantment, are anyone's guess. Most don't work, but the ones that do... We don't know why they work. And they're never the same from Source to Source. The ones that affect me wouldn't affect Mom."

Kagome grinned at Inuyasha. "I trust you, so as long as I know the spell is there beforehand, it will work. Like when I had a thing for climbing trees when I was little. Dad put a spell on me so that if I fell, I'd hover a few inches above the ground. When do you want me to show up for your class?"

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She trusts me that much. Inuyasha stared at the ceiling the night after his class. I had her in front of an entire class full of mage students and she let me cast a control spell on her. Anyone else would have taken advantage of-

No. Anyone else wouldn't have the ability to cast that spell on her.

It's still weird, though. I could have done anything because she trusted me that much. He frowned. Besides me, Sess, Miroku, and Shippo are the only guys she really trusts here. Miroku's so over the moon about Sango that it's easy to see why she trusts him. He was a professor and he's got a girl. Shippo's too young and Sess is too old.

He grew still. I'm the only guy her age that she trusts...

Inuyasha shook his head. We're friends. Just friends. So what if I walk her home? I do that to Rin, too. And Sango if Miroku's not around.

And she's in and out of the house like she lives here. But I go over to her dorm room, too. It's just that over here we have more space. Two people crowding into that little room to watch a movie versus coming over here to a big living room. Living room, hands down.

She eats here, too, but everyone does that. We've got classes together and when we work on them, it gets late. We have dinner since she's already here.

Oh, and the whole Valentine's Day thing. But none of those jerks know what she wants and it's okay to give a girl who's your friend candy. Yeah. Sure.

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Kagome closed her eyes and fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, she was sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant.

She looked around. "Where am I?" she wondered.

"You're here with me. Does anything else matter, my sweet?"

She turned and found a man smiling across the table at her. "Yes? Are you daydreaming, Kagome?"

"I-I'm not sure. How did we get here?"

"By taxi, of course. You said you wanted to try Jamin/Robuchon in Paris." He frowned slightly. "Are you regretting ordering the cream of cauliflower with caviar? We can change it to saddle of lamb in a salt crust, if you'd like."

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "That's fine." Wait a minute, she thought. I don't even know what caviar tastes like! Why would I order...

"Ah, here it is." Her table-mate looked at the food as it was placed before them. "This is wonderful."

They ate, though Kagome couldn't figure out what she was eating. "I hope you don't think this too presumptuous of me, but I had a wonderful time." He rose. "I'll see you to a taxi, Kagome."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She woke the next morning and remembered the dream in perfect detail except what the guy had looked like. She wrinkled her nose. "Now why would I dream of a date in Paris in a fancy restaurant? I don't date. I don't want to go to Paris. Why would I order caviar?"

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**Uploader Notes: Moonsilver sure knew how to place cliff-hangers, didn't they? XD**


	63. Chapter 63

**I hope everyone is having good first month of the New Year, and that it sets an upbeat tone for the rest of the year.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 63<br>Too Much to Look At

Sango fussed with her wet hair, but reasoned that it was better to have a complete shower than be dripping with sweat. She walked through the fitness center intent on going home and having a few minutes to herself before work.

Something caught her eye and her jaw dropped. She swallowed hard and she began walking again. Phone, her brain babbled. Must get to phone.

She went out of the equipment room and into the main hallway where you could decide to go to the track, pool, the locker rooms, or the equipment room. Spotting the pay phone, Sango dropped thirty-five cents into the slot and dialed Rin's dorm room.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi, Rin. Is Kagome there, too?"

"No. She's still at class. But she should be here in five or ten minutes."

"Good. There's something you've got to see at the fitness center."

"Okay," Rin said slowly. "I'll wait for Kagome and then we'll be down."

"Great. Thank you." Sango hung up the phone. I've got to be hallucinating. It's too much exertion or something.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome and Rin walked quickly to the fitness center. Sango burst through the doors and said, "I need someone to tell me that I'm not crazy."

"You're not crazy," Kagome said immediately.

Sango rolled her eyes. "No, I need you to see something and then tell me that. Come on."

The girls walked inside and followed Sango. "Now, I don't want you to look. Just glance into the equipment room and tell me what you see."

Kagome looked out of the corner of her eye. What she saw made her slowly slide her eyes around to get a full view.

"Oh, my," Rin said, her jaw slack. Kagome nodded.

"You're seeing them, too? I'm not crazy?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nope. I'm seeing four guys in very short shorts and tank tops. Is that what you're seeing?"

"Yes," Rin said. "Muscles bulging and everything."

Sango breathed a relieved sigh. "Good. I'm not hallucinating. I love Miroku to pieces and he looks just as good, but four of them at once..."

"You know what the problem is?" Rin said a few seconds later. "That's my Japanese II teacher, Heero. How am I going to look at him on Thursday?"

Kagome shook her head, not taking her eyes off the exercising guys. "Do you see the blond? I had him for Business Management a few semesters ago. He normally dresses in a suit. I can see why. Probably doesn't want all the girls drooling over their desks in class."

"You would've?" Sango said dryly.

"Nope. But a lot of them would have."

"That's my German teacher," Sango pointed out. "Anyone know the black-haired one?"

Kagome squinted. "I think that's Inuyasha's Latin teacher."

"Hm... So German, Japanese, and Latin. Who would have thought language teachers could be that... What's the word I'm looking for?"

"Ask Kagome. You're biology, I'm psychology, and she's library science. She's the one who would have better access to adjectives." Rin continued watching.

"Ahem." The girls turned to look at the new arrival. Duo grinned at them. "Is there something interesting in the equipment room?"

"Um, no, Duo," Rin said. "We were just wondering how much that guy was lifting."

Duo glanced at Quatre. "Usually the really heavy stuff. We had to move our routine here for a few days. Quatre's got a great exercise room at our place, but the floor wasn't built for it. So we were all in there doing our thing when the floor caved in."

He glanced at the room. "Well, I'm going to have to play catch up anyway. I'll see you in class." He nodded to them and walked off in the same short shorts and tank top.

Rin winced and escaped. Once they were all outside, she wailed, "I've got to see him in two days! I'll never be able to stop blushing!"

"And I've got him in a week. I just got out of class with him and I was ogling his roommates." Kagome's face was already red. "Maybe you could skip on Thursday?"

"No way. He'd know."

Sango patted her on the back. "Well, we had a good look anyway."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome opened her eyes and found the same guy smiling at her. "Hi. Have a nice nap?"

She frowned. "Where am I?" she asked, puzzled.

He chuckled. "Disoriented, hm? We're on the beach. You fell asleep about an hour ago. Since you were already oiled with suntan lotion, I let you sleep."

Kagome sat up and looked around. She was on a plastic lawn chair with a pillow under her head. It was pleasantly warm and the water sparkled. A few kids were building a sandcastle further down the beach and she could smell boardwalk fries.

She sniffed the air appreciatively and the man beside her asked, "Do you want some? I didn't want to leave you alone before." She nodded and he trotted off.

What was going on? She didn't like the beach. Sand got everywhere. It was always too hot. The water was filled with seaweed and shells that liked to cut her feet. She hated the feel of suntan oil. She didn't even like being tanned. The only good thing about the beach was the food.

A few minutes later, he was back with her fries. "Thank you for coming with me today," he said politely. "I've really enjoyed the company."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome woke up and saw that Rin was awake, too. She was just putting on her pants and Kagome sat up in bed. "I had another dream about that guy," she said.

"Oh? What about?" Kagome detailed the dream and Rin smiled. "Maybe you're dreaming of the right guy. Weirder things have happened around you."

"That's the truth," Kagome said with a sigh.


	64. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Moonsilver several years ago, and what you read here is the unedited version of their story.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 64<br>Fireball

Kagome scowled at her backpack. Rin finally looked up from where she sat on her bed and said, "It isn't going to bite you."

She sniffed. "How do you know?"

"Because if it was interested in you, it would've pounced by now." Rin returned to her notes.

"You're just saying that because you've got the easy midterms."

Rin shook her head. "No argument here. Three multiple choice/true-false/essay question tests for psychology, one half written/half spoken for Japanese II, and a short paper for Experiences. I'll ace all of it."

Kagome growled. "And I'm stuck with making a program for Library Materials for Children, a Necromancy paper, and I.D. Which might bite me. You never know."

"Yes. Tokio would definitely send you something that would attack. Teachers are so devious that way."

Rin and Kagome looked at each other after that statement and cracked up. Kagome had to take a drink of her soda before she could calm down. "Okay," she said at last. "But I still think it's a bad idea to even approach that backpack."

"What's in there?" Rin asked, shuffling papers to find her Social Psychology notes.

"Three programming books for quotes and research, my necromancy textbook and a few other books that have bit pieces about necromancers, that object, and my other textbooks. Miscellaneous folders and stuff I've printed out to help me with that paper." Kagome sighed and got up. "I'll open it."

Rin watched as Kagome approached slowly and finally prodded the backpack with a toe. When it didn't leap at her, she picked it up and opened it.

Nothing happened and Rin smirked. Kagome started with her necromancy class since she had a good idea for a library program already. She browsed the index until she found something that sounded interesting.

Flipping through the pages, one opened wide and...

Kagome gave a mock scream and Rin looked over at her. "It bit you?" she asked calmly.

"No!" She pointed. "I knew something was waiting for me." Kagome removed the offending bit of paper and read it. "Another poem."

So We'll Go No More A-roving  
>Lord Byron<p>

So, we'll go no more a-roving  
>So late into the night,<br>Though the heart be still as loving  
>And the moon be still as bright.<p>

For the sword outwears its sheath  
>And the soul wears out the breast<br>And a heart must pause to breathe  
>And love itself have rest.<p>

Though the night was made for loving  
>And the day returns too soon,<br>Yet, we'll go no more a-roving  
>By the light of the moon.<p>

Rin nodded. "Say what you will about the guy, but he does have good taste in poetry."  
>Kagome held up a hand. "Ah, but putting a love poem in a book about raising dead people? Strange..."<p>

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Kagome?" Rin asked an hour later. "Is it getting hot in here?"

Kagome frowned. "Yeah. I wonder why." She pushed her book aside and went out into the hall. "It's even warmer out here."

Rin followed her. "Huh. Maybe someone turned the thermostat all the way up."

Kagome shook her head. "No, it wouldn't be this hot. I'm about to break out the shorts." She walked down the hall and felt it get noticeably warmer. Something's wrong, she thought and speeded up.

She stood in front of one door almost at the end of the hall and frowned. "Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong? It's Kagome." There wasn't an answer. "Sarah, it's really hot out here." Kagome lowered her voice. "There's only me and Rin here. I think everyone else on the floor is gone."

The door opened a crack. "Something's gone wrong," Sarah said. "I can't let you come in because it'll get out."

"What'll get out?"

She darted a glance back at the room. "I was trying to do a fireball spell for my midterm and it's gotten out of hand. I can't control it."

Kagome's eyes widened. Fireball spells were just as they sounded. A ball of fire that would burn anything it was pointed at. "Have you given it a direction?"

She shook her head. "No. I can't."

Kagome swallowed hard. A fireball without a direction would eventually explode. Another fire could control it, but earth and air couldn't do anything. Rin had her water course, but the fire wouldn't react well to her tampering with it. "Have you got it under control for now? We could go get a teacher."

Sarah shook her head. "I've got it, but I don't think it'll hold long enough."

Kagome sighed. "I'll go into the spell with you and Rin can run for someone. With two of us, we should be able to control it." She turned to Rin. "Go to the main desk of the mage university and tell them what's going on." Rin nodded and ran off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inuyasha chose a soda from the case and headed to the front of the drugstore. While he was waiting, he studied the jellybean case. He picked out his favorite, green apple, and his eyes wandered to the next ones in the row. Kagome liked green apple, too, but she really liked the strawberry.

Hm... He counted the money had on him and decided to buy her some of them.

Wait a minute, Inuyasha thought. You're buying her candy? You already bought her some on Valentine's Day.

The person ahead of him slid a movie across the counter and the cashier turned to get the dvd for her. Now there's an idea. We haven't seen a movie in a few days. Maybe she'd-

Inuyasha shook his head. What are you doing? Candy, movie... What, are you turning into one of those guys who follows her around and sends her stuff all the time? Geez.

But when he got to the register with his soda and the paperclips Sesshoumaru had sent him after, he asked for a half pound of jellybeans in two bags.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sess wasn't expecting him back soon, so Inuyasha jogged up the stairs to Kagome's floor. If she wasn't there, he'd leave them with Rin or something.

He walked to her door and knocked. "Kagome? Anyone home?"

"Inuyasha!" He looked and saw a hand waving out of a room further down. From the urgency in her voice, he hurried down and saw the relief in her eyes through the crack in the door. "Oh, am I glad to see you. Sarah started a fireball spell and she can't control it."

Inuyasha pushed on the door and entered the room. The fireball was hovering in mid-air with Sarah standing beside it. It was obvious she was about at the end of her rope. Her hand was shaking, she had sweat on her forehead, and the fireball was jerking around.

"Rin ran for the university and we've been working together to keep it controlled."

"Does it have a target?" Inuyasha said, keeping his eyes trained on the fireball.

She shook her head. "No. She can't give it one."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Pull me into the spell."

"I can't," Sarah wailed. "I'd have to let Kagome go and once I do hat, I won't have enough control to keep it from-"

"Just do it!" Inuyasha barked.

Sarah cried out as Kagome was loosed from the spell and Inuyasha took her place. His control surrounded the fireball and it stilled. "Dissipate," he growled. It began to shrink and the temperature went slowly down in the room.

A black-haired man slowly entered the room. "Young lady, you are going to have some extra training in containment," he said sternly.

"Yes, sir," she said unhappily.

Yanagi pushed past him and looked the girl over. "You'll be all right," she soothed. "But I want you to lie down and take a nap. When you get up, find some juice to drink. Okay?" Sarah nodded and immediately collapsed into bed.

The teacher marched from the room and Inuyasha and Kagome followed him. Rin stood outside, panting. "Is she all right?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah."

"That was good work," Wufei told Inuyasha.

Inuyasha grinned. "Thanks."

Wufei looked at his watch. "I hate to have to leave, but I have a student who needs an extra lesson. Siraj keeps challenging me." He sighed. "Maybe I should have Duo talk some sense into him."

"Duo?" Kagome asked incredulously. "Sense?"

"It does sound odd, but he has a touch with students." Wufei let a small smile peek through. "When he tells a student to leave someone alone, they usually do it. It could have something to do with the last fight he was in."

At their interested looks, he sighed. "Let's just say that Duo had to pay for the wall to be replaced."

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That night, Kagome looked up into the black sky. "Cold?" a voice said from her right. She turned and looked into the smiling eyes of the man next to her. "I brought a blanket for you to wrap up in."

She accepted it and stared at the sky again. "What time is it?"

"Almost time for them to start."

The first blossom of red exploded into the night sky and Kagome's jaw dropped. They were so beautiful!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome woke up to sunshine on her face and she blinked. Hold it. I was on a bridge... at night... watching fireworks... with a guy. I hate heights. I don't like being out at night because it's dark and cold. Fireworks are great, but I'd rather watch them from inside a house or something.

She sighed. These dreams are really getting strange.


	65. Chapter 65

**Sorry to have ****_again_**** missed a couple days of uploading, dear readers.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 65<br>An Outing

Kagome crept into Inuyasha's room and sat gingerly on the side of his bed. His nose twitched toward her, but he didn't wake up. She finally pounced on him and his eyes flew open. "Kagome!"

"What?" she said teasingly. "It's morning! Get up, sleepyhead!"

He blushed. "Kagome, I'm..."

"You're...what? You remember, I've been in your sleeping pants."

"...I'm not wearing those."

Kagome paused. "Underwear?" He shook his head. She winced. "It's a good thing I didn't strip the covers off of you to wake you up." She glanced at the door. "Um... I'm going to go downstairs. No one's here yet." She got up and calmly walked out the door.

Inuyasha heard her go down the stairs and got up to get dressed. Underwear was his first priority.

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Kagome heard a car park in the driveway and moments later, Miroku, Sango, and Rin walked in. "Morning!" Sango said cheerfully. "How's Inuyasha?"

"Fine," Kagome said nervously.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. What happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Sounds like something," Miroku said, taking off his coat.

"I agree." Rin studied Kagome. "Are you going to tell us or do we have to torture you?"

"Yeah, it was something all right." Kagome looked to see Inuyasha coming down the stairs. "She thought she'd pounce on me while I was in bed."

"Oh..." Sango nodded knowingly. "Something did happen."

"No, nothing happened," Kagome insisted. She shot Inuyasha a dark glance.

"She's right," he said with a shrug. "Nothing happened." Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "She left when she found out I didn't have anything but blankets in bed with me."

Shippo paused in the doorway. "Did I walk in on the wrong house?" he asked.

Kagome covered her face with her hands. "Okay. I went up to his room and woke him up. I didn't know he sleeps naked!"

"And now you know," Inuyasha told her and walked into the kitchen.  
>"I wish I didn't!" she yelled after him.<p>

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Miroku and Sango got into his car and waited for Sesshoumaru to lead them. Sess got into the driver's side while Inuyasha climbed in on the passenger's. Rin got in behind the driver's seat, Kagome got the middle, and Shippo snagged the seat closest to the door. They pulled out of the driveway and headed on their way.

The conversation turned to the weather and classes. "The woman is insane!" Shippo swore. "She brought an unidentified creature to class!"

Kagome shook her head. "That's Mihoshi for you." She looked up front. "Speaking of unidentified, where are we going and what are we going to do once we get there?"

"Since it's almost Inuyasha's birthday and he's the one who requested this trip..." Sesshoumaru waved to his brother. "You take over."

Inuyasha turned in his seat to look at the back. "We're going to the state capital. There's not much there except government buildings and another branch of the normal university." He shrugged. "They've got a Wal-Mart, a theater, SAM's..."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "If there isn't anything there, then why are we going?" "I said there wasn't much," Inuyasha corrected. "There's my favorite pizza place and a huge bookstore."

Kagome sat back. "Ah, I understand now."

Inuyasha grinned. "Yup. Mom, Dad, and Sess have authorized me to go nuts with the credit card and they'll pay it off next month."

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Sesshoumaru parked the car and Miroku and Sango slid into the space next to them. "It's nine thirty now," he said. "Why don't we meet back here at eleven thirty?" They agreed and went to explore the shopping area.

Directly in front of them was a Barnes and Noble bookstore with a craft supply store and a pet store next to it. Further down was a theater and the next parking lot over was for a SAM's Club. In back of them was a Super Wal-Mart, Panera Bread, and a bunch of little shopping stores up on the hill.

Sango and Miroku decided to look in Wal-Mart first and Shippo tagged along with them. Rin and Kagome wanted to look around in the craft store while Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha went into the bookstore.

Kagome gave the store a quick looking over and bought enough yarn to make another scarf. Rin was in love with the store, so Kagome went to the bookstore alone.

She strolled around the store, picking up this book and that until she found Inuyasha. He had an armful of books and Kagome smirked. "Only that many?"

He glanced at her. "No. There's a pile behind the counter, too." Kagome's jaw fell. "Hey, I haven't been to a big bookstore since August. I've got to catch up."

"I guess so," Kagome said, looking at his books.

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Sesshoumaru was still wandering around in the bookstore when Inuyasha paid for his books. Kagome helped him carry them out to the car and noted the time. "It's ten thirty. Where else are we going?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha pointed. "Pet store." At Kagome's inquiring glance, he shrugged and said, "Puppies."

He slammed the back hatch of the car and they walked back up to the sidewalk. Inuyasha started talking about why the puppies liked him and Kagome nodded along. A girl passed by them on her way to the bookstore.

Kagome looked into the craft supply store window and blinked. The girl was staring right at Inuyasha. Her eyes were definitely moving up and down and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

Kagome turned and frowned. She'd been checking him out and obviously she liked what she had seen.

Huh, she thought. Why would someone look at Inuyasha like that? Kagome glanced sideways at him. I mean... Sure, he's attractive. That long hair of his doesn't make him look girly. It kind of adds to the whole attitude he has. Broad shoulders, slightly muscled, lithe, nicely packed rear...

She closed her eyes for a second and looked determinedly at the building. I am not thinking of my friend that way. He's a friend. Friend, Kagome, friend!

They reached the pet store and he held open the door for her. She walked inside and held the second door open for him. He smiled and walked straight to the puppies. That's it. We're just friends.

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Everyone except Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stared up at the menu boards. "Keep in mind that we're not going home for a few hours," Sesshoumaru cautioned. "We can't have takeout."

Shippo ordered an open face hot turkey sandwich with fries and coleslaw. Miroku and Sango were going to split a Big Whip sandwich with the same sides as Shippo. Rin decided on a chicken teriyaki sandwich. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome split a large half mushroom/half pepperoni pizza.

While they were waiting for their meals to be done, they wandered around the very small restaurant. It was a long one story building with the kitchen taking half the room. There were long booths down the left side with short ones in the middle and long booths to the right. Kagome, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Rin took one of the four-seaters. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo took the one behind them.

Kagome just had to get up and examine the wall. There was a large map of the United States posted on it and a lot of little multi-colored stick-on stars. "It's where everyone's from," Inuyasha told her. "When someone comes in from another state on vacation, they get a star to put on the map."

She nodded and looked at it. There were very few states that hadn't visited Whipper's at some time or other. Well, she wasn't on vacation, so she couldn't put a star up. But if she returned during the summer, she'd definitely make it a point to stop in.

Their food came and Sango's eyes nearly popped out of her head when the Big Whip arrived. It was a good thing they'd decided to split it because it was almost big enough for three people!

Kagome sighed with happiness over the pizza. Not drowning in sauce with drippy cheese and good toppings. Delicious. Shippo was delighted with the gravy and french fries. Rin was the same with her sandwich.

Halfway through the meal, Rin looked at Kagome and asked, "Have any more dreams?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes. I had one last night."

"Nightmares?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome shook her head. "Not exactly. I keep dreaming about the same guy. The first time I was in a fancy Paris restaurant. I had ordered something I've never tried and I never want to try caviar. It just felt funny to be there."

"The second time," she continued, "I was on a beach. I don't like to think about the stuff that's in the ocean, it's always too hot, and I hate suntan oil."

"The third dream was about standing on a bridge at night watching fireworks. I don't like to be out at night in the cold." Kagome took a drink from her soda. "Last night was the fourth dream. I was at a circus. The guy bought me a balloon and won me presents."

She bit her lip. "I don't like the prize booths. I go on the rides and eat tons of french fries. It was so strange."

Miroku turned around and looked at her. "It was the same person every time?" Kagome nodded. "You were acting unusually?"

"Yes. Nothing seemed right."

Miroku exchanged a look with Sesshoumaru. "How frequent are the dreams?"

Kagome shrugged. "About once a week."

He took a deep breath. "Kagome, I don't want to scare you." He smiled. "With a statement like that, I probably have. It's possible that someone is invading your dreams. If I have your permission, I'd like to add another spell to allow me to track the person."

Kagome nodded. "Okay. You really think it's someone?"

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "It sounds like it. We'll check and see."

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A week from that date, Kagome went to sleep. She opened her eyes to find herself sitting in a theater. "I thought we'd see a movie this time," the same man said. "You've been wanting to see this, haven't you?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes." Why can't I remember this, she thought. If I've wanted to see this move, why don't I...?

The person an aisle down from them turned and smiled at the young man. "I believe you'll let her go," Miroku said.

The young man's eyes widened and he disappeared from his seat. Miroku stood and held out a hand to Kagome. "Wake up, Kagome," he said firmly.

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Kagome's eyes opened to stare at her dorm room ceiling. "Huh," she said. The phone rang and she answered it.

"Good morning, Kagome," Miroku said. "If you wouldn't mind, could you go to the main office of the mage university in about an hour? I'm going to tell them about your dreams."

"Okay. What will happen?"

"You'll fill out some paperwork and the young man who has been entering your dreams will be reprimanded. I don't know exactly how."

Kagome nodded and said good-bye. "What a way to start the morning," she said with a sigh.


	66. Chapter 66

**This was written by Moonsilver several years ago, and I'm just sharing it here.**

**Seriously, if you haven't understood by now that I'm not the author, just someone who wants others to enjoy a great story, then I don't know what to say.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 66<br>The Dead

Duo leaned against the front of his desk. "Welcome back from spring break," he said. "Since the ground has sufficiently warmed up enough, we're going on a field trip. Does everyone have a warm coat and gloves? I don't want any of you to freeze. If you don't, we'll wait while you go back to your room and get them."

He glanced around, but no one took the offer. "Today we'll be going out to the graveyard to visit a guy I know. He happens to be dead, but don't hold that against him. I'll put up a distraction spell so we don't get any weird looks."

Duo stood up straight and began walking towards his coat. "We'll be gone maybe an hour and then we'll come back to class." Everyone put on their coats and they trooped out of the room.

He led them down the stairs, out of the building, across the parking lot, and down the sidewalk. They came to the end of the road and turned left. The gates were open and they walked into the graveyard.

There was still a lot of snow around, but it was thinning from the heat of the early spring days. Kagome was very glad she'd kept her boots and not traded them for sneakers over vacation.

Duo eventually reached a marker in the back of the graveyard. "This is Elliot Wright. He can't say hello right now, but he will in a few minutes."

He said the words to the distraction spell and then looked around. "First, you have to touch the gravestone. If the person doesn't have one, at least be standing on the ground where they're buried. This is only suitable for a single person raising. If you're doing a general 'help me out' raising, it's okay to stand almost anywhere."

Duo paused. "I once asked for help when I was in a tree. Of course, I was being chased by a really big dog at the time."

The class laughed a bit and he continued. "You do not have to wait until the ground thaws. You can do this at any time of the year, but it's easier when the ground is soft. It's also helpful to know the person's name."

"The main point to hit in raising a person from the dead is to make it extremely voluntary. It's the person's choice to talk to you. They can stay dead or whatever it is people do after they die. Elliot isn't going to threaten you, make the ghost noise, or anything like that. He's a normal guy that died twenty years ago."

Duo clapped a hand on the edge of the gravestone. "So it goes like this. Elliot Wright, I've got a class demonstration to do today. Do you think you could show up so I don't look like some yahoo who doesn't know what he's talking about?"

Silence.

Duo glared at the ground. "Sometime today, Elliot..."

The ground shook slightly and parted. A man dressed in a blue plaid shirt and jeans sat up and got his feet underneath him. Once he was completely out of the ground, the split in the earth closed underneath him. Not a speck of dirt was on his clothes or in his brown hair. He smiled congenially at the class and looked at Duo. "Hi. I haven't seen you in a few months."

Duo shrugged. "Teaching classes, living, that sort of thing. Elliot, this is my class. Class, this is Elliot."

Elliot raised a hand in greeting. "Hello."

"As you can see, Elliot is not doing the ghost thing. He does not look dead. He also looks pretty good seeing as how he died when he was eight-eight years old."

Elliot shrugged. "I look like I did when I was about... early thirties."

"That's how you raise someone," Duo told his class. "Very simple. Touch the gravestone or the earth where they are. Knowing the name means a lot to someone who is dead. Give them a jingle, let them know that someone wants to talk to them. When they want to go back or you're finished talking, just say the word and that's it."

Elliot nodded. "There isn't anyone who's going to argue you with you about going back."

"Why?" someone asked.

He shrugged. "I can't answer why we want to go back, only that we want to."

"But," Duo continued, "it doesn't hurt at all. The person chose to come to talk to you. When the talking is over, they go back. It doesn't hurt them to stay up here and talk."

He nodded to Elliot. "Now, as far as this graveyard is concerned, there are a few people who like to sit and chat. Elliot's one of them. If you do a general calling on this graveyard, there's about four people who like to talk. There's one guy who thinks he's a comedian and likes to try to scare you. Over there," Duo pointed to the right, "is a lady who is really upset when someone does a general calling, but she normally doesn't say anything about it. If you do one and she shows up, apologize really fast."

"Those two are not included in the four that like to talk," Duo said. "Before we leave today, we'll visit each of their graves so you know where they are."

He turned back to Elliot. "I'll come talk with you soon, okay?" Elliot nodded and the earth opened again.

When it closed, Duo said, "See you later, Elliot." He nodded to the gravestone and began walking through the graveyard, pointing out the three other gravestones.

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When they got back to class, Duo put his coat back over his chair. "You've seen your first raising today. We're going to take our fifteen minute break now. When we come back, you're going to write down what you saw, thought, felt, whatever. I'm not going to read this, so feel free to put down anything you want. When everyone's had half an hour to do that, I'm going to pair you up and you can talk. Get all of the 'we saw what?' out. Someone just saw the same thing you did and I want to make sure you have someone to talk about it with."

Duo smiled. "I'm going to go get some coffee and I'll be back." He and most of the students left the room.

Kagome took a bathroom break and stared into the mirror. "I just saw a dead person," she said. She nodded to herself. "I can deal with that."

She walked back to the classroom and sat down. One of her classmates was in the room, rustling through some papers in their folder. She got out a notebook and a pencil to begin her assignment.

She heard footsteps and looked up. A man who looked to be about mid-forties stood in front of the classroom. "Is this Professor Maxwell's class?" he asked smoothly. The other student nodded.

"Ah, Kagome Higurashi." He walked slowly to her desk and smiled. "How did you find your first raising?"

She shrugged. "It was okay."

"Just okay? You didn't feel the thrill of raising?"

Kagome frowned. "Um... No?"

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"Well, no one fainted."

"That's good," Heero said, finishing a sentence on his laptop.

"Yeah," Duo said, sipping at his coffee. "That's good. Just wanted to give you an update."

"Siraj was by."

Duo groaned. "And I missed him?"

"He said that he was taking stock in whatever company makes band-aids. Between you and Wufei, he figures he'll double his money within days."

"That kid has got to figure out that he needs to stop challenging Gundam pilots." Duo muttered. Heero raised an eyebrow. "No. He's pretty much shaken Wufei out of his system and we are not getting him started on you. He'd end up in the hospital." He waved good-bye and headed back to class.

Duo walked down the stairs to the second floor and heard an unwelcome voice as he neared his classroom. "Great," he muttered. "He's in there trying to disrupt my hard work."

Throwing on a devil-may-care grin, he walked into the classroom. "Hi, everyone. Hello, Naraku. Just had to get another cup of coffee. It was cold outside, wasn't it?"

The older man narrowed his eyes. "Good afternoon, Professor Maxwell."

Duo nodded to him and set his cup down. "Now what did you come to see me about?"

"I came to visit the students and see how they liked your field trip today." He glanced at Kagome. "It seems they don't have the proper enthusiasm."

Duo shrugged dramatically. "Most people who have the natural talent for it don't use it. You know that." He smiled at Naraku. "It's the ones who can't do it by themselves that really want to use necromancy."

Duo sat quietly while the rest of his class came in and Naraku began talking to all of them. He held his peace until the fifteen minutes for break were up. "Well, Naraku, it's been good having you in my classroom, but we're getting back to class now."

"You object to me talking to your students? After all, I have practical experience as a necromancer." Naraku looked down his nose at Duo. "I don't possess a natural talent, but another point of view on necromancy could be fortunate."

From his position at the desk, Duo could see Wufei standing outside. He frowned slightly and glanced inside. Duo grinned and shook his head. "Naraku, the last time you tried interrupting one of my classes, you woke up with a bright pink teddy bear in your bed. I even have some of the pictures from you cuddling it."

"Now," he continued, "if you keep this up, you're just asking for another stuffed animal. I think a purple hippopotamus should work this time."

Naraku opened his mouth and Wufei walked in. "You are keeping up this injustice?" Wufei said coldly. "You would teach these students to raise people on the border of good and evil? Injustice!"

Naraku's eyes went wide at Wufei's appearance. He made his excuses and left the classroom. Duo snickered as soon as Naraku was out of earshot. "Thank you, Wufei."

He nodded to him. "I wouldn't see that poisoning their minds."

"But he is a teacher."

"An average one," Wufei conceded. "Skilled in his area, but it is narrow. I'll see you later, Duo." He nodded to the class and left.

Duo sighed. "That, my dear students, was Naraku. He raised the people at Halloween and is notorious for raising people while barely doing so on the good side. He is not a natural and gets his power to raise the dead from bargains he makes. We've gone over what bargains are necessary in our textbooks. If he approaches you, listen to him, don't listen, whichever you decide. Just don't cross over and do things the wrong way." He continued with the writing exercise and they all had a group discussion about what they had seen.


	67. Chapter 67

**I'm SO sorry I've missed several of my uploads, dear readers! So here are four in a row.  
>I also want to take the time to ask everyone reading this to keep Monty Oum, the man behind RWBY, in your thoughts and prayers. He was reported in the hospital in critical condition yesterdayday-before.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 67<br>The Tour

"So your booklets are out, too?" Shippo asked.

Kagome nodded. "I overheard someone in the cafeteria talking about them. The admissions office will probably have a stack of them."

They crossed the street and Kagome looked sideways at him. "So what are you doing on this side of college?"

Shippo shrugged. "I was just on my way back from walking downtown actually."

"Find anything interesting?"

"A book I was looking for."

They walked into the small house that the admissions office had taken over. Kagome spotted the course schedule booklets in a stack at the main desk. The person at the desk smiled at her as she approached. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Kagome nodded. "Sure."

"You're a student at this college?" At Kagome's agreement, she continued. "Do you have an hour to give a tour? Someone's thinking about applying to our university, but we don't have anyone here right now who could show her around."

"I've got the time. Where is she?" Kagome asked.

The administrative assistant pointed to the hall. "She's in the waiting room. Thank you for doing this. All of the students who work in here are out today."

Kagome smiled and said, "You're welcome." She walked out of the main office to the waiting room and Shippo followed her. There was only one person in the waiting room and they looked up as Kagome approached the open doorway.

"Hi," Kagome said cheerfully. "The person at the desk told me that you want a tour?"

The girl nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I'm going to show you around. My name's Kagome Higurashi."  
>She stood and smiled back at Kagome. "I'm Dorothea, but I go by Thea." Kagome noted that the girl was about her height standing up.<p>

"Shippo," he offered with a wave of his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Thea said, nodding to him.

Kagome glanced toward the main door. "Well, shall we get started? Are you going to live on campus?"

They began walking. "I'd like to," Thea said. "My family lives here, but we're moving after I graduate high school. I thought I'd check out the colleges around here."

Kagome nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." She pointed across the street. "I live in that dorm, so we could start there...?" Thea agreed and they walked across the crosswalk and into the building.

"It might not be as neat as some," Kagome cautioned. "But you can at least see what a dorm room looks like."

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"So we took her to my dorm room, explained how they work with showers and stuff, the cafeteria, pointed out the buildings, and wound up at the library," Kagome finished.

"Mm."

"You could at least pretend to pay attention," Kagome told him.

He glanced over at her. "Pay attention to what? She's a prospective student. You'll probably never see her again."

Kagome shrugged. "We might."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Do you know how to solve this?"

"Bring it over here and I'll have a look." Inuyasha brought the book over and Kagome looked it over. "Okay, you have to do this," Kagome said, pointing at a particular section. "And then this..."

Soon they were deep in the realm of magical identification. Kagome was showing him where to put his hands on the object to tell if it had a certain property when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Their eyes widened as they saw the position they were in. Shoes off, sitting on his bed, extremely close together, with their hands grasping a magical object.

Knock, knock.

"What is it?" Inuyasha called, not moving an inch.

"Can I come in?" Sess asked.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. "Um... We're kinda busy."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said a few seconds later. "Tangled up in something."

Kagome stared at him, but he just looked at her innocently. Her eyes narrowed. Two can play at that game. "Sess, we're in a particular situation where we can't move or everything we've worked on for the past half hour will be lost."

"See, we've both got our hands somewhere delicate..."

"And we can't let go because if we do Inuyasha won't remember how he did what he's doing." Kagome finished.

Sesshoumaru coughed. "Your friends are downstairs and I'll try to save you a sandwich." They heard him go downstairs and both of them began laughing.

"Busy?" Inuyasha asked.

"Hands somewhere delicate?" Kagome challenged.

Inuyasha got up from the bed. "We'll have to finish this later or there won't be anything left to eat." He ran out of the room and Kagome rolled her eyes.

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After the group had eaten and finished their homework, everyone hauled out the course booklets and started going over them. Whole plates of cookies were sacrificed during this great event.

"Oh, for-" Kagome unfolded the piece of paper with a disgusted look. "Explain to me how he knew that I'd pick up this particular course booklet? Anyone?"

How Do I Love Thee?  
>by Elizabeth Barrett Browning<p>

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  
>I love thee to the depth and breadth and height<br>My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
>For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.<p>

I love thee to the level of everyday's  
>Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.<br>I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;  
>I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.<p>

I love thee with the passion put to use  
>In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.<br>I love thee with a love I seemed to lose  
>With my lost saints,-I love thee with the breath,<br>Smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,  
>I shall but love thee better after death.<p>

She put the paper away and continued looking for her courses. "Well, provided I don't have any more unexplained classes creep up on me..." Kagome put her pencil down. "Library Management, Shakespeare, Wards II, and Summoning a Familiar." She glanced at Tama and grinned. "Since it worked out so well for Sango."

"Animal Behavior, History of U.S. II, Basics of Music, Martial Arts, and Mythological Creatures II." Sango shrugged. "I survived one class with Mihoshi. Might as well try for two."

Rin cleared her throat. "Two psychology courses, Shakespeare, Japanese History I, and Summoning a Familiar."

"Two classes together. Are you sure you can handle seeing me that much a week? After all, you know how we get along," Kagome teased.

"Oh, it'll be a test of endurance to put up with you for that long," Rin shot back.

"Two Illusion and Deceptive Tactics classes, Religion 101, Dispel, and Political Science." Shippo frowned. "I'll have to take the Religion and Political Science at the normal university, but they're not that different, are they?"

"Nah," Kagome said, shaking her head.

"Battle Magic, History of European Magic I, History of Art and Architecture I, and Wards II."

Kagome snickered at Inuyasha. "You're going to be in a class with Hiko?"

"Yeah. Is he really as arrogant as everyone says?"

She nodded. "I had him first semester I was here. He's Kenshin's adopted father."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Who do you think will be teaching Wards II? The first class we had was taught by Miroku."

Miroku shrugged. "I have no idea."


	68. Chapter 68

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 68<br>The End of Year Three

"So how'd the concert go?" Kagome asked as Rin walked into the dorm room that night.

"Oh, it was great." Rin sat down on the edge of her bed and grinned. "You'll never guess who was there."

"Who?"

"Sesshoumaru! I walked in and he was sitting in the fourth row. So I went over and asked if I could sit beside him."

Kagome gave her a speculative look. "Hm... You play chess every chance you get, you make it a point to watch the current Stargate episode, and you both analyze it within an inch of its life... Could it be that you're-?"

Rin frowned at her. "Of course not! He's..." Kagome looked at her attentively. Rin paused. "Old."

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Nine years and a month difference. Of course, you're mature for twenty and I don't think there would be too much talk."

"Like you and Inuyasha?"

She shook her head. "No, there would be a lot of talk if I started dating anyone."

"When we went to the capital for his birthday, you were checking him out while I was in the craft store." Kagome's jaw dropped and Rin laughed delightedly. "I knew it! You do like him!"

"No, some other girl was looking at him in the window and I was seeing if he had a sign on his back or something."

Rin nodded. "Keep telling yourself that."

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"Of course this would be difficult. It couldn't get easier at this point now could it?"

Shippo walked around the corner to investigate. The girl had her back to him, so he asked, "Can I help?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Yes, please! I'm trying to find a book, but I'm used to the Dewey Decimal system and this library runs on Library of Congress."

Shippo grinned. "It gets everyone when they move on campus." He held out a hand for the slip of paper and headed off for the right area of the stacks.

While he was scanning the shelves, he remembered something. "Is your name Thea?"

She blinked. "Yes. I was here on a tour and you and Kagome showed me around."

He nodded. "That's where I know you from. It's strange being on campus because you keep walking into people that you know vaguely from one class or the other." He pulled out the book she needed. "Here you go."

"Thank you!" She cradled the book to her. "I needed this for my senior paper, but my school didn't have it."

"You're welcome." Shippo went to find the books he had originally came for and Thea walked away.

Ten minutes later, Shippo was looking for an individual room to use. On the bottom floor of the library, they had a few rooms that had a door and a table inside for groups to use. He peeked in one and found Thea.

He opened the door and asked, "Do you mind if I study here?" She shook her head and he came inside the room. Spreading out his books on the large table, he began flipping through them and making notes in his notebook.

An hour passed and Shippo closed his last book. He placed all of them on a bookcart and came back for his backpack. Thea was finished with her book and looked at him questioningly. "We don't put the books back on the shelves," he explained. "The library has bookcarts everywhere for you to return them to. It cuts down on books being shelved wrong." She nodded and found a bookcart.

"Thank you so much for helping me," Thea said again.

"It really wasn't a big deal," Shippo told her. He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "So... Have you thought about which college you're going to yet?"

They started up the stairs. "It's between this one and two others. Depends on which one accepts me first."

"What major do you think you'll go for?" Shippo asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I like some of the ones here, but I can't decide. I thought I'd register as an undecided and then see what I enjoyed the most."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"What's your major?" she asked politely.

Shippo's eyes widened. He couldn't tell her his major was Illusion and Deceptive Tactics! "Undecided, too."

"And you're a freshman?" He nodded. "Don't they allow you to be undecided for a year?"

"Yes. I'll have to decide soon."

"Hi," someone said.

Shippo turned and smiled gratefully at Kagome. "Hi, Kagome. Do you remember Thea?"

"Of course," Kagome said, smiling at her. "Back on campus again?"

"I needed a book for class."

Kagome glanced between the both of them. "All done? I was going to go get some lunch if anyone wanted to tag along." She rolled her eyes. "Every semester it's the same. My parents order the same meal plan for me and I end up with too many by the end of the year. I've got at least a couple hundred dollars in points left and I'm supposed to eat twenty-one times a week. I go to the Special at least twice and eat at Inuyasha's on Saturday."

Shippo shrugged. "Fine with me."

Thea bit her lip. "If you're sure you don't mind."

"Of course not," Kagome told her. "Plus we can introduce you to Kenshin. Once you've tasted his cooking, you'll never go home."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome approached the door quietly and knocked. "Come in." She opened it and walked inside to find only one person sitting at his desk.

"Kagome," Duo said, turning around. "Good afternoon."

She smiled at him. "You said anyone who wanted to take a practical exam should come to see you."

Duo smiled at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said.

"Why?"

She paused. This was not part of the plan.

"Why do you want to raise someone instead of doing the paper?" Duo asked again in a softer voice.

"Because it's interesting."

"How so?" Duo settled back in his chair.

"It's not something I want to do all the time, but if I was in a situation where I needed some help, it would be good to know. It's an interesting idea to be able to talk to the dead. I don't think I'm going to raise my grandmother and talk, because that would be weird. I'm a low-level mage and I want to know how to do everything that I'm capable of doing."

She stopped. "Because it doesn't seem evil or wrong to me. It's just talking to someone."

Duo smiled and nodded. "All right then. Pick a time and we'll go out to talk."

"When is okay for you?"

He shrugged. "Right now if it suits you." Kagome nodded quickly and out the door they went.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome stood beside the tombstone and put her right hand on the top. "Her name is Mary Alice. She'll talk your ear off about gardening if you let her." Duo gave her a reassuring smile. "She's a very nice woman who likes to talk."

Kagome nodded. "I like gardening, too." She looked down at the grave. "Mary Alice, could you please come to talk with me?"

She looked at Duo and he nodded. "That's fine."

The earth split like someone had pulled a zipper apart and a pleasant looking woman in her sixties climbed out of the hole. "Hello, dear," she said smiling. "Good afternoon, Duo."

"Nice to see you again, ma'am."

She giggled. "So formal. And who are you, young lady?"

"Kagome Higurashi. It's nice to meet you."

"The same to you. My, but you two are so polite. Why weren't people this polite when I was alive is what I want to know." She shook her head. "I'm assuming this is for your final?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Am I doing all right so far?" She glanced back at Duo.

"You've got a A so far."

Kagome grinned at the woman. "Duo said you know about gardening. What kind? Flowers or vegetables?"

"A bit of both actually."

"Well, my mom has a hydrangea bush and she never gets the right color blooms as the store says. In the store, they're pink, but they come up green the next year."

"Ah, that's because..." And the woman went on to tell her about soil.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You found another one?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

Kagome nodded. "Yup. The guy must've thought I read my books more often or something."

"Well, read it."

Kagome cleared her throat and began.

She Walks In Beauty  
>Lord Byron<p>

She walks in beauty, like the night  
>Of cloudless climes and starry skies;<br>And all that's best of dark and bright  
>Meet in her aspect and her eyes:<br>Thus mellow'd to that tender light  
>Which heaven to gaudy day denies.<p>

One shade the more, one ray the less,  
>Had half impair'd the nameless grace<br>Which waves in every raven tress,  
>Or softly lightens o'er her face;<br>Where thoughts serenely sweet express  
>How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.<p>

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,  
>So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,<br>The smiles that win, the tints that glow,  
>But tell of days in goodness spent,<br>A mind at peace with all below,  
>A heart whose love is innocent!<p>

Inuyasha shook his head. "That guy really likes his poetry." He continued with the curtains.

Kagome packed up the read of her books and turned to dismantle her closet. She emptied the drawers of her bureau one by one into a big purple plastic box. "Have I said that I'm really grateful for the help?"

"Have I said that you don't need to thank me? Not for bringing you stuff when you're sick, not for helping with your homework, not for packing up your room with you..."

She rolled her eyes. "But I don't want you to think I'm some ungrateful wretch."

"How about a too grateful wench?" he teased.

"Oh, you," she grumbled. "I am not being called a wench."

"Good. I just found you a new nickname."

"Fine, puppy."

"You want to haul this heavy computer downstairs by yourself?"

"I can do it!"

He snorted. "You're not straining yourself. I can see myself trying to explain to everyone why you broke your neck."

Kagome bundled up her empty hangers and tossed them into a miscellaneous box. She glanced at the clock. "Sango said she'd be here a few minutes ago to help." She looked at Rin's empty side of the room. She'd finished her finals two days ago and was home by now.

Inuyasha lifted the monitor from her desk to put it into a box. The cord trailed from the ground, up the wall, and got stuck between the desk and the wall. Inuyasha tugged on it, but the monitor was too awkward for him to free a hand.

"I've got it," Kagome said and crawled under the desk. She wiggled the plug a little until there was enough space. Inuyasha pulled on it again and it moved.

He turned and put the monitor down inside its traveling box. Kagome crawled out from under the desk, intent on going back to her work with the closet. Inuyasha turned just as she straightened.

They were almost touching. The computer chair had been moved to Rin's side of the room to give them space to work. The box was at the end of the bookshelf. There wasn't anything there, but Inuyasha with his back to the bookshelf and Kagome facing him.

Instead of laughing it off like they usually did or behaving as if it didn't matter that they were far inside each other's personal space, Kagome's eyes were confused. Inuyasha's eyes asked an unspoken question and Kagome's lips parted.

He didn't know if she meant to say something, but he was kissing her.

It was just a slight brush of the lips, more like a very light caress. Something neither of them had asked for.

They were still standing there, inches apart, just been kissed look on their faces when Inuyasha heard something. Moments later, Kagome heard footsteps. She darted away from Inuyasha and began taking clothes from their hangers. Inuyasha lifted the computer tower into another box.

"Hi, guys," Sango said cheerfully. "What can I help with?"


	69. Chapter 69

**This story belongs to Moonsilver, who wrote it several years ago. I have left it exactly as I found it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 69<br>Beginning of Year Four

"You know what the good thing is about having a morning class together?"

Rin shook her head. "I can think of quite a few, but I'm sure you have a good reason."

"I do," Kagome said solemnly. "It means that we both have to set our alarm clocks for the same time so neither one of us will be late to class. We also get to have breakfast together."

"Very true," Rin said. "Of course, this requires us to actually get dressed."

Kagome looked down at her nightgown and grimaced. "I know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once they had gotten dressed and filled their stomachs with food from the cafeteria, they went to class. "This should be a great class."

"Sango enjoyed it." Kagome paused and went down the hall towards the vending machines. Rin changed her direction and followed. Kagome put in the right amount of change and punched a button. There was a rattling noise and she retrieved the bottled soda from the dispenser.

"I wonder what familiar we'll have."

Kagome grinned. "I want to see the dragon." Rin glanced at her. "Wufei's familiar is a dragon."

"I remember." They walked through the hall, up the stairs, and into their classroom. "What do you think he's like?"

Kagome shrugged. "No idea. Inuyasha likes him, though."

They talked about their new classes and what they had done that summer until the class filled up. A black-haired man walked in with a briefcase and went to the front of the room.

When the clock ticked precisely to nine, he began to speak. "Hello, class. I am Wufei Chang. You may call me Wufei, Professor, Mr. Chang, whichever of those suits your preference. I prefer to be on a first name basis with my students, but if any of you would like me to address you differently, please say so."

He looked down at his desk. "I will hand out the syllabus and we'll go over it together. Are there any first year students here?" He looked around but no one raised their hand. "Then the syllabus is standard to all of you. Don't come to class if you're sick or if there is bad weather. The first month of this class is concerned with learning about the various kinds of animals you may attract, their care, and abilities."

Wufei handed out the syllabus as he spoke. "At the end of the first month, you will summon your familiar. It is not difficult, but you must devote some time to thinking about what you are asking for."

"The second month will be learning about your specific familiar. How to interact with them and their needs will be covered. The rest of the semester will be spent studying familiars in our textbooks."

He looked out over the class. "If you have any problems, at any time, with your familiar... You are to call me. If it is one o'clock in the morning, you will call me. Your familiar trusts you to care for them and you are not to betray that trust."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome walked up the stairs to her dorm after her Familiar class. Rin had gone to the library with the notion of getting some lunch before her one o'clock class.

Hm... I've got everything set up from moving in yesterday, Kagome thought. But I need to check a few websites and fill the refrigerator.

She heard footsteps behind her and glanced down from the second flight. "Thea?" she asked.

The girl's head shot up. "Kagome?"

She grinned. "Yeah. You live in this building?"

"Third floor."

Kagome waited until Thea caught up to her. "I'm on the second. How was your first day?"

"My first class is tomorrow. I'm so nervous." Thea grinned. "I've got Political Science. My room is a mess and I've got to clean that up." She shrugged. "My parents helped me a little, but they had to leave pretty soon after they got here."

"What about your roommate?" Kagome asked.

Thea grimaced. "She unpacked, said something about friends, and left."

"Rin's got class right now, but I can come help you for a few hours." Kagome started climbing again. "Which room is yours?"

Thea paused and said, "304. Are you sure?"

Kagome tossed a smile over her shoulder. "Of course. I've got all my stuff done already."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Kagome got back from helping Thea, there was a message on the answering machine. "Hi, Kagome. It's Sango. Everyone's free this afternoon, so do you mind coming by the Special around four? Bye!"

Kagome found Rin's schedule on her desk and saw that she'd be back at three thirty. Glancing at the clock, she thought, that's only fifteen minutes from now.

"Hi!"

She turned and grinned. "Speak of the psychology major. Sango's invited us to the Special at four. Want to go?"

Rin nodded. "Just let me drop off my backpack."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They walked in the front door and went up the stairs. Shippo was already sitting in one of the large circle booths with a drink in front of him. He waved at them as they began to approach. "Hi. How was your summer?"

"Pretty good," Kagome said, sliding in. "Where's everybody?"

Shippo looked at his drink. "Sango was just here. Miroku's going to be a little late. I don't know where the others are."

Kagome nodded and looked around. There were a few familiar faces, but no one she was really close to. She looked down at the table. How was she going to handle seeing Inuyasha again? The last time they were together...

He had kissed her. Her very first kiss, but they hadn't talked about it. Oh, sure, they had sent letters back and forth from May to the end of August. That one subject hadn't come up, though.

"Hello," Inuyasha said from beside her. She turned and he raised an eyebrow. "Geez, you look like you've seen a ghost." He waved a hand at her and she moved over.

"Drinks?" Sango asked. They nodded and she ran off. When she came back, she had Miroku in tow.

Sitting down, she sighed. "I've missed every one of you."

"But I was here yesterday," Miroku objected.

"I miss you every second we're apart," she told him.

"If you two are going to make eyes at each other, I'm going to go study," Inuyasha warned.

"Fine. How was your summer?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Fine." He looked at Kagome. "Need that refrigerator of yours filled?"

She nodded. Rin had gone over to Sesshoumaru's and retrieved it before Kagome even got to college.

"Nothing but a pack mule," he said with a sigh.

"But you're a good pack mule." Kagome grinned. "Isn't that great, Rin? Inuyasha's going to take us shopping."

"Oh, good," the girl said happily. "We've got lots of groceries to get. Will he carry them up for us?"

"If we ask nicely," Kagome said. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and drank his soda.


	70. Chapter 70

**When I decided back in Dec 2014 to share this wonderful slice-of-life story by Moonsilver, I said I would upload every day. I have stumbled several times in that pattern I had set for myself, and while I've made -and failed to keep- similar promises with my own stories, I feel especially bad when all the chapters were already written by Moonsilver years ago and all I have to do is upload them for you. I just ask your forgiveness.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 70<br>A Proposal

Sango sat down on the couch with a sigh. "Twenty-six," she said aloud. "I just turned twenty-six years old yesterday. I'm old, I'm ancient, I'm almost thirty!"

There was a knock at the door and she wearily got up to answer it. It was Sunday afternoon and she was going to devote some more time to that troublesome chapter of Animal Behavior.

She unlocked the door and smiled when she saw who was on the other side. "Come in," she said, backing out of the way. "You've just saved me from a chapter of Animal Behavior."

Miroku walked through the door and pushed it closed. He stepped close to Sango with a gleam in his eyes. His arms reached around her waist and pulled her close. "What makes you think that?" he said softly.

She rolled her eyes and wiggled free. "So what'd you have in mind?"

He followed her to the couch. "Something different than studying the behavior of animals," Miroku said dryly. "I have a question for you."

"Oh?"

"Yes," he said. She looked at him expectedly. He rose to his feet and walked into the kitchen.

Sango glared at him. "You always do this," she complained.

"Do what?"

"Drop something like that and then go do something else. Why can't you just say whatever is on your mind?"

Miroku reappeared with a soda. "Because I was thirsty?" She rolled her eyes and he sat back down. "Yes. The question."

He set the soda down and turned to face her. Solemnly, he asked, "How long of an engagement period do you want?"

Sango stared at him. What, her brain thought. Engagement period?

"Because," he continued, "I'd like to be married sometime after we graduate, but before I start teaching in the fall. Of course, we could get married after that if you'd prefer a cooler atmosphere for our wedding."

"Hold it." Sango held up a hand. "Is this a proposal?"

Miroku shook his head. "No."

She frowned. "You're talking about marriage and being engaged and stuff. How is that not a proposal?"

"Very simple. To propose means you have the option of saying no. I'm telling you that we're going to be married because I don't want you to get away." He looked at her, very content.

Sango, on the other hand, was not content. "So you just tell me that we're getting married? That's it. I have no say in the matter."

"Of course you do," he said practically. "Where, what dress do you want..."

Sango took a deep breath. "If you had asked, I would have said yes immediately. But just outright telling me..."

Miroku reached for one of her hands and she allowed him to have it. Stroking the back with his thumb, he began to speak. "I love you. You love me. I cannot contemplate living without you. I think a life without you would be very dull and boring. I want you to marry me."

"You told me to marry you."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes."

He smiled. "Then what's the problem?"

"You ordered me into marriage. That's the problem." She yanked her hand away. "How are you going to act if I marry you, if you're ordering me around now?"

"The same way you are now."

"Huh?" she said.

"By telling me what a blockhead I am and refusing to go along with it." He grinned. "That's what will make our marriage fun. The playful arguments we have." He tilted his head to the left. "Did you really think I'd make you marry me?"

Sango stared. "Well..."

He laughed. "My beautiful love. Marriage under coercion isn't seen very well in the magical community." He winked at her. "But you are marrying me."

Sango narrowed her eyes. "As soon as you ask, not tell."

"Then we must go choose a ring, my dearest." He stood up and she followed suit.

"You don't even have a ring to offer me?" she asked.

"I thought you'd like to choose one for yourself. Since I'm not giving you that many choices after all," he teased. "I don't really think it's fair, though."

"What's not fair?" she asked.

"I'm not going to have any say in what house I live in, the decorations, or much of anything else. All I want is my teaching job and you."

That last sentence melted her heart. "Of course, you'll have lots to say," she said, flipping her hair around. "I'll come home to a new dog tracking mud on my floor. And students calling at all hours of the night. Where did you get the notion that I'm not going to consult you in what I put in the house? I'll need someone to haul the furniture in."

Miroku smiled at her. "Obviously, I was mistaken. There's a little jewelry shop downtown. Would you like to look there first?"

"That sounds fine."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the end, Sango chose a ruby engagement ring with a few diamonds sprinkled around it. On the way back, she ran up the stairs to Rin and Kagome's room. Miroku walked up the stairs at a more sedate pace.

Rin answered the door and Sango walked in. Kagome took one glance at the girl and said, "What happened?"

Sango held out her left hand. Rin and Kagome looked at the ring and then chorused, "Congratulations!"

"He actually told me I was going to marry him," Sango said grinning.

Kagome winced. "What hospital is he in?"

"Currently none, though I'm holding the option in reserve," Sango replied cheekily.

"I buy her a reasonably expensive piece of jewelry and I am threatened with bodily harm." Miroku sighed theatrically.


	71. Chapter 71 Please Read BOLD At Top

**I was greatly saddened at the lost of Monty Oum [Feb 1st, 2015] which I heard about today [Feb 2nd, 2015], though nothing I feel could compare to the hurt his close family and friends must feel. I wish all comforts to his family, and that they can see just how many he touched in his time among us.**

**As a result, I will only be uploading this single chapter of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic".**

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 71<br>Empathy

"You go first."

"No, I insist."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Kagome, you go first."

"Oh, fine," she said with a huff. "Library Management sucks. We're presented with a situation and told that there isn't a totally wrong answer. Then we have to discuss it. The class also has tons of reading material. Summoning a Familiar is great. Shakespeare is very lively. Kuno, the teacher, really gets into it. Aoshi's teaching Wards and I'm learning a lot."

Sango drew in a deep breath. "Animal Behavior is lots of reading and the teacher, Ryo-ohki is good. Though," she said frowning, "sometimes I can't understand what she's trying to say. History is like storytelling time because Howard says it's the best way to learn. I absolutely love that he said we weren't going to remember specific dates and battles. Music is with Quatre, who is this very small blond man. Very cute."

She glanced at Miroku. "In a small furry animal sort of way, dear. Ranma's teaching Martial Arts and I'm going through Mythological Creatures II with Mihoshi."

"I've met Quatre," Miroku said, nodding to her. "He's very nice. Quiet, too."

"Two Psych. classes with Duo, Shakespeare with Kuno, Japanese History I with Heero, and Summoning a Familiar with Wufei," Rin said. "In Shakespeare and Summoning, I agree with Kagome."

"Two Battle Magic classes and History of European Magic with Trowa." Inuyasha paused. "Didn't he teach your German class, Sango?"

Nodding, she said, "Yes."

"He's quiet." Inuyasha shrugged and went on. "Kagome already said what I was going to say about Aoshi and Hiko is just as arrogant as you said."

"Two Illusion and Deceptive Tactics, Religion, Dispel, and Political Science." Shippo finished the ritual of 'tell what class and teacher you have and share the results'.

"On a totally different topic," Kagome began. "Rin and I ran into Thea in the laundry room."

"How is that noteworthy?" Inuyasha asked.

"She was hauling her laundry around in her backpack and a pillowcase. Then she couldn't figure out how to get the machines to run." Kagome shook her head. "I don't know what her roommate is doing, but she isn't helping much."

"Some roommates are like that," Inuyasha said sagely.

"We got her straightened out," Rin told them. "She's going to go get a laundry bag from Walmart and a roll of quarters from the bank."

Shippo sighed. "She looks tired in class."

Sango turned to look at him. "You, too?"

"Me too, what?"

"You've got her in one of your classes?"

Shippo nodded. "Political Science."

"She's in my U.S. History class," Sango said. "I met her when Kagome and Rin came into the Special a few nights ago. I didn't even know she was in my class." She frowned. "She did look tired on Wednesday."

"She went home with a headache and I took her notes to her this morning," Shippo said. "She said she'd had a headache all week. I asked if she'd taken anything for it or been to the doctor, but she said she'd only taken some aspirin. She didn't want to bother the doctor for only a headache."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "That's what we're there for, after all." He sighed. "If she's had a headache for that long it might be something serious." He put his book down. "I don't usually make house calls, but..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Come in," Thea called quietly.

The door opened and Kagome walked in. "Hi. I heard you were sick."

Thea shook her head. "I'm not sick. I just have a headache."

"And that's what I'm here about," Sesshoumaru said, walking into the room. Shippo followed him. He nodded to her. "I'm Sesshoumaru, one of the doctors on campus."

Kagome hid a smile. Note, he didn't say which campus...

"I'd like to ask you a few questions," he continued. "Kagome, Shippo, would you mind standing out in the hall? Doctor-patient privacy, please."

Once they had gone, Sesshoumaru sat down on her roommate's bed. "So how long have you had this headache?"

Thea shrugged. "Since Monday."

"Five days. On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?"

"Well, it was just a nagging thing, but..." She glanced at the drawn curtains. "It's about to split my head open."

"What have you taken for it?"

"Aspirin, but it hasn't been doing any good."

"Have you had these headaches before? Or has anyone in your family complained of them?" Thea shook her head. Sesshoumaru stood. "I'd like to call in someone else. I've got an idea of what the problem might be, but I'd like his input on this." He smiled. "It's nothing to worry about. May I use your phone?" She waved a hand in its direction and he dialed a number.

"Yes. Headaches." He waited. "The address? Hold on a moment." He turned to Thea and repeated what she said. "Ten minutes? That's fine."

He turned back to Thea after hanging up the phone. "Would you like me to call Shippo and Kagome back in?" She nodded and they were allowed back inside the room.

About twelve minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Thea said.

A blond man walked inside and smiled at everyone. "Hello, Sesshoumaru, Kagome." "Hi, Quatre," Kagome said with a smile.

"Good morning, Quatre. I'm afraid it's out again, you two." The two students walked outside while Quatre and Seshoumaru stayed.

"Headaches for five days, getting increasingly worse, with no history." Sesshoumaru summed up what he had learned.

Quatre nodded and closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he smiled and nodded to Sesshoumaru. He rose and said, "Quatre will explain the cause of your headaches, Thea. I'll just wait outside."

"Thank you," Thea said and turned her attention to the blond.

"We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Quatre Winner."

"Thea Thomisson."

"It's nice to meet you, Thea. Now what I have to tell you will be a little strange. What do you know of empathy?"

Thea looked at him blankly. "Um, nothing."

"Telepathy?" He got the same answer. "Then I'll explain both. Telepathy is sending and/or receiving other people's thoughts. Empathy is the same thing, only with emotions."

"Now an empath has mental shields that prevent them from feeling others emotions all the time. They're a matter of practice. Every empath has some natural shields or else they'd probably go mad."

He smiled. "You're an empath. I can tell because I'm one also."

She stared at him. "Um..."

He chuckled. "I don't expect you to believe me. But you've had this headache for five days and I can explain why. Now I want you to promise that when I take that headache away, you'll believe that you're an empath." He held up a hand. "I'm going to do this without touching you or approaching in any way. Your head's been hurting for five days. Aspiring doesn't do any good. I'm sitting across the room and your headache will vanish." He waited expectantly.

"Okay, I promise." This is nuts, she thought. He'll never do this.

He looked at her for a few seconds and Thea felt blessed relief. She shook her head experimentally and didn't feel a twinge.

"You don't feel any pain because I've just strengthened your shields with my own. We'll spend the next hour fixing those so you can handle it by yourself. It's quite simple. You just calm down and concentrate on a really thick wall."

She blinked. "I'm a what?"

"An empath," he said patiently.

"Could you explain everything again? I wasn't really listening." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Understandable." He repeated what he had said and then went on to tell her why her natural shields had failed. "You were going to school and then coming home to your own space. You were accustomed to the mental rhythms of your family. Now you're on campus or in your dorm room. There isn't anywhere for you to go to get away from everyone's emotions. Luckily, you don't have to, though it would be a good idea to find somewhere quiet. Go to the library for a while."

They practiced the meditation and only stopped when Quatre felt her shields were at an appropriate level. "Do you have an address book?" he asked.

She fetched one from her desk and a pen when he asked. Writing his number down under W, he said, "If you have another bad headache, call me. It doesn't matter what time it is. I live with four other professors and students keep strange hours. We're all used to calls at three in the morning."

He handed the book back to her and smiled reassuringly. "It's not something you'll have to worry about daily. Just check your shields, make sure they're working. Come to my office sometime next week and we'll make an appointment to work on your shields further." He handed her a card out of his wallet and watched as she put it on a corkboard.

"Have you had enough?" he asked quietly. She frowned. "You've learned that you're an empath. How much more do you want to know?"

"How much is there?"

Quatre grinned. "Quite a bit. There's more than just empaths in this town. Have you reached your limit for today?"

She looked slightly uncomfortable, but nodded anyway. "That's fine. If you want to know more, you can come to my office."

He glanced toward the door. "Or you could see any of those three out in the hall." He rose from his seat and opened the door. "Thank you for waiting. She's just fine now."

Kagome ducked inside and looked at Thea. "Are you okay?"

Thea nodded. "Yes."

"Did she get 'the speech'?" Kagome asked Quatre.

"No. But if she wants to know, she can ask you, right?"

"Sure!" Kagome looked at Thea. "You can ask me, Shippo, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Rin, Sango, Miroku..."

Sesshoumaru laughed. "Kagome, does Thea know half of those people?"

"No, but she will," Kagome said stubbornly. "We're all friends and she'll meet everyone sooner or later."

Quatre sighed and herded them all out of the room. "Thea would probably like some time to digest what she's learned," he said gently.

When they had gone, Thea sat down with a thump. "Empath," she said. "This is beginning to be a strange year..."


	72. Chapter 72

**Well, we're back with more "Source of Magic". I really hope those of you reading this who didn't know about Monty took the time to check out RoosterTeeth and RWBY. To everyone reading this who are themselves writer's -or any kind of creative person-, I hope you take Monty's words to heart and never stop being creative. Quote from his blog: "The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 72<br>Familiar

Wufei held up the piece of paper and began to read aloud. "Step one, focus. You've all had meditation class so you know what I mean. Step two, speak the words listed below. Do not worry if you mispronounce one. Step three, start talking about what you'd like in a familiar. As with web searching, the broader you are, the more results you'll get. If you get very specific, you might not have a familiar. This is not to say that you just ask for a familiar. Don't detail things like eye color and such. Personality, a specific type such as a cat, what you'd like to be able to accomplish together, those are perfectly acceptable."

He lowered the paper. "When you are through, close the spell with the final words. Upon meeting your familiar, you will feel a small jolt as the energy in the spell comes back to you. If your familiar is a species that you've not seen before, feel free to contact me. It's better to call and ask than have your familiar be uncomfortable. It doesn't matter if they arrive at two thirty in the morning, call me."

"The next class will be about your familiars. If yours hasn't arrived yet, take notes and pay attention. In my experience with this class, most familiars arrive quickly." He nodded to them. "Dismissed."

Kagome and Rin began to pack up their backpacks and headed out of class. It was lunchtime and they walked down to the cafeteria. "So when are you going to do your homework?" Kagome asked.

Rin shrugged. "Tonight. Yours?"

Kagome sighed. "I don't know. I've got classes until Thursday. Maybe then."

"I've got another class today, two on Tuesday, and one on Thursday. Wednesday would be a good arrival day."

Kagome nodded. "So you want me out of the room tonight? I could go to Inuyasha's for a bit."

"That would be nice."

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Rin considered her list for a moment and nodded. She worked through the first two steps and started on the third. "I'm definitely not a mage student, though I can work elemental magic. I love learning about magic, youkai, and anything else I can get my hands on. So it doesn't matter to me whether my familiar is magical or not, but they should know that I can't work a lot of magic."

She sighed. "This is better when it's written down. I'd like someone who doesn't mind libraries and poetry readings and such. I don't want a constant companion, but someone who was around would be nice."

Rin glanced down at her list. "Okay, I can't work much magic, I like to learn, the whole time alone thing... Oh! I'll take the time to learn about whatever species the familiar is and treat them well."

She spoke the end of the summoning and leaned back. "Well, that's done," she muttered. "I hope I didn't mess it up too badly."

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Rin opened up the library's webpage and waited for it to fill in her identification information. Once it did, she clicked 'ok' and then 'books checked out'. Consulting the list in front of her, she sorted through the stack of library books. "Okay," she muttered to herself. "These five have to go back to the library and the rest aren't due for another week. But have I read any of the others?"

In the end, she had eight books that had to be returned to the library. She bundled them all up in her backpack and headed out. It was a nice walk, full of sunshine and orange leaves on the sidewalk. She turned toward the mage university and down the corridors to the library.

She smiled at Myouga as she put her books up on the counter. Rin browsed the new arrivals shelf and then went upstairs for her favorite sections.

Myouga was a treasure of information. He kindly guided her toward the books that didn't require an intimate knowledge of magic. The beginner's books and the general information were the ones she hit first. Now she was able to look around on her own, searching out the topics that interested her. From Kagome's necromancy class last year, she had learned more about the kinds of magic that used to be considered dark, but were really based on the person's point of view. Shippo had recommended a few of the illusion texts and even Inuyasha had let her borrow a couple of his books.

She was deep in the stacks when she heard a small chirp. Frowning, she glanced around. "Huh," she said quietly. "I wonder what that was."

*chirp*

Rin looked down beside her and gasped. A tiny, perfect dragon was sitting on her backpack. It had green scales, varying from a light green to a dark green. Some vague portion of Rin's mind noted that it looked like an Eastern dragon. No fur or skin, just like a lizard...

*chirp!*

Rin chuckled. "Offended? No, I think you're beautiful." She glanced around. "Are you lost? Who do you belong to?" The dragon snorted and looked away from her. "Excuse me. Belong with, of course."

The dragon moved forward, its wings folded tightly to its back. Rin held very still as it rose up to let its forefeet land on her leg. Rin blinked quickly several times. "Hm... A jolt. It would appear that you're my familiar." The dragon looked into her eyes and chirped. "Really?"

Rin looked down at the book in her hands. "I can just get these for today and come back some other time." The dragon managed to look horribly affronted. "What? You'd like me to stay?" She nodded. "Now, I know dragons are intelligent, but I don't know how intelligent. You'll excuse me if I make a mistake before I get to know you better."

The dragon moved aside and Rin pushed the book into her backpack. "Dragons," she whispered. "Where would books on dragons be?"

She looked at the dragon. "And are you going to follow me on foot or do I carry you or-" The dragon got to its feet and walked a few steps. "Hm... It's going to be hard to keep up that way," Rin said doubtfully. The dragon chirped and Rin shrugged. She found a computer catalog and looked up what she needed.

The shelf she was concerned with had a few books of interest. She chose three and went to the checkout. Once her books were processed, she walked out into the corridor. Looking down, she frowned at the dragon. "Perhaps you could ride on my backpack. I'm pretty sure it would hold up against your talons." The dragon chirped again and unfolded her wings. Inch by inch, she rose into the air and settled on the offered object. Rin walked off gently and glanced back every so often to make sure her passenger was okay.

When she got back to her room, the first thing she found was Wufei's number. Dialing, she waited for someone to pick up. "Hello?"

"Hi, is Wufei there?"

"Yep, one minute. 'Fei, it's for you."

"Who else would it be for? This is my office. Hello?"

"Hi. It's Rin from your Summoning a Familiar class."

"Good morning, Rin. Do you have a question for me?"

Rin looked at her backpack that had a dragon hanging on to it. "Yes, I do," she said firmly. "I was in the library today when I met my familiar. I've never seen one before, but I did find a few books."

"Your familiar is...?"

Rin winced. "Sorry. I'm a little frazzled. It's a dragon, a small one."

"That's fine. Have you got time to come by my office in the next hour?"

"I can be there in a few minutes." They said good-bye and hung up. Rin looked at her backpack. "Want another ride?" The dragon chirped.

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Ten minutes later, Rin walked into Wufei's office on the mage university campus. He turned to look at her and smiled. "Hello, Rin. Where's your-" She set the backpack down gently and he nodded. "Ah. There she is."

"She?"

"Yes, as noted by the shorter muzzle and a few other things. You met in the library?"

Rin nodded. "She surprised me. She is my familiar, isn't she?"

"No doubt about that," Wufei said. "Dragons are very proprietary animals and if she didn't like you, she wouldn't have approached." He looked at a spot on his desk and a blue dragon materialized. "Alastair." He looked at the new dragon and nodded. The green nodded back to him.

"So what did you want to know?" Wufei asked.

"Everything," Rin answered immediately. "Dragons are considered extremely magical and I can't work very much of it."

"Perhaps she doesn't want to help with magic. What did you ask for?"

Rin shrugged. "Someone who wouldn't be with me every second of the day and that didn't mind libraries and learning."

Wufei looked at the green dragon. "Dragons are intelligent. Maybe she wants to learn more about humans rather than spend her time helping with magic."

"What will she need?"

"She'll let you know when she wants something that you're eating. Otherwise, you'll need to buy a box of these." Wufei reached for a book on the shelf. When he touched it, it turned into a cardboard box.

He opened the top and held out something that looked like a flat, round cookie about the shape of a nickel. Alastair opened his mouth immediately and devoured it. He offered the box to Rin and she did the same with her dragon. "They'll eat those three times a day or every five to six hours. One usually is enough, though sometimes they want two."

He put the box away and looked at Rin. "They don't need a litterbox or anything other than food. If you don't feed them, they will hunt other things. There's a touch of magic inside the cookies. You can buy the boxes at the local pet shop. Just tell them that you have a dragon and they'll know what you need."

Rin nodded. "The only thing I need to buy is a box of dragon cookies. What else?"

"They sleep where they choose and she'll accompany you to class. No one will be able to see her except the students who have taken my class and the faculty that already have a familiar. Though if you want someone to see her, all you have to do is deliberately draw attention to her such as I did with Alastair when you walked in." Wufei looked at the dragon. "Has she told you her name yet?"

Rin blinked. "Dragons can talk?"

"Not usually," he said dryly. "But once in a while, you'll hear them talk in your head."

*Since he's so eloquent... Keelin. It's Celtic for slender and fair.*

Rin stared at the dragon. "Of course," Wufei continued, "the more they get to know you, the more you get talked to. And you can talk to them any time you want."

*Yes. It's nice to meet you, Rin.* The dragon unwound herself from the backpack and sat up.

"Nice to meet you, too," she said dazed. Turning back to Wufei, she said, "She had a problem keeping up with me in the library, so she rode on my backpack."

"Yes. She'll either fly with you, ride on your shoulder, or anywhere else you offer."

Rin frowned. "How would she keep her balance?"

Wufei smiled. "Offer and see." Rin looked at Keelin in invitation and the dragon lifted into the air. She curled around Rin with her front feet on the girl's right shoulder and her back feet carefully hanging onto her back. The dragon stayed there for a few moments and then shifted to sit on Rin's right shoulder. She rested her head against her soft hair and chirped again.

"That's how," Wufei said. "She's as intelligent as a human, more so in some cases. Her agenda in this partnership is most likely to learn." He glanced as Alastair. "His is."

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Rin walked into her dorm room again and found Kagome on the computer. "Hi," she said without looking at her roommate.

"Hi, Kagome. My familiar arrived this morning."

Kagome turned. "Really?" Her eyes widened when she saw the dragon. "Oh, wow," she said softly.

"Kagome, this is Keelin. Keelin, Kagome." The dragon straightened up and nodded to Kagome.

"Very happy to meet you, Keelin," Kagome said, nodding back to her. "I hope you enjoy your stay." She glanced around. "It's kind of small for two, but..."

The dragon chirped and flew from Rin's shoulder to the rail of Kagome's bed. She regarded the girl keenly and chirped again. *Yes. I like her. Would you tell her so?*

Rin relayed the message and Kagome's eyes sparkled in delight. "Thank you. I think you're absolutely beautiful." The dragon preened at the news and flew to Rin's bed where she rested on the pillow.

"I've got to walk downtown and buy some food for her. Did you want to come?" Rin asked. Kagome nodded. "Keelin?" The dragon rose and landed on Rin's shoulder.

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"It's so strange," Rin said on Thursday morning.

"What's strange?" Kagome asked.

"I woke up with two... Well, I guess you could call them hollows. I know that Keelin slept in one, but there's another one. Did she roll over or something?"

"Why not ask her?"

"She won't tell me."

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know then. I'm going to do my summoning today."

"Why not this morning? I've got a psychology class." Kagome agreed that it was a good time to do hers.

Once Rin left and Kagome had eaten, she sat down on her bed and thought. She worked the spell and began laying out what she wanted. "I'm the Source of Magic, but I don't want a familiar who chooses me for that reason. I want someone who realizes that I'm just Kagome. I do work magic, but I'm not a high level mage. I'd like some help sometimes, but I don't have to have it. I don't care what species or about the ability to help with magic. I do like time to myself which means that I'd like a familiar who has other things to do besides be with me. I'm a library major, so I'm going to be in and out of libraries most of my life." She ended the spell and began reading her Library Management homework.

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Rin woke up Friday morning and noticed that she only had one hollow and it had a sleeping dragon in it. She shrugged it off and got up. Rin got dressed while her computer started up. She reached for the bagels after starting her internet connection and paused. "Kagome?" she asked.

The other girl stirred. "Yeah?"

"Your familiar is sleeping on your bed."

Kagome's eyes flew open. "What?" She looked down by her chest and saw two eyes peering back at her. "Uh... Hi."

*Good morning. My name is Kaie, Kagome.*

"Nice to meet you." She glanced at the other bed. "What are the chances of both of us having dragons as familiars?"

*My clutch-sister.*

Kagome blinked. "Sisters?"

Rin shook her head. "Yours is blue and mine is green. I think we need another box of dragon cookies."

Kaie's head swung in the direction of the box and she chirped. Kagome slid out of bed and retrieved the box. "Are you hungry?" Another chirp and Kagome gave her a cookie. She ate it and looked for another.

"Definitely another box," Kagome said. "We've got the whole day."

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Kagome and Rin stood on the doorstep. Kagome opened the door and walked in. "Hi, everyone!" she called.

Inuyasha came down the stairs. "Hello." He glanced at their shoulders. "Introductions?"

"Kaie, this is Inuyasha." Kagome looked at Rin who introduced hers.

Inuyasha nodded to them. "Nice to meet you, ladies."

Kaie straightened up and looked at him. She tilted her head to one side and Inuyasha kept still. She launched herself from Kagome's shoulder and hovered in the air a moment. "Yes," he said and she landed on his shoulder.

"Huh," Rin said. "Dragons don't usually do that. Only with people they're comfortable around."

"She probably just smells the cake I had. Did you want a bit of it?" Inuyasha asked. She chirped and he walked back into the kitchen.

Rin shrugged slightly. "I'll go introduce Keelin to Sesshoumaru." She walked a few steps and looked back at Kagome. "They also evaluate people that their partner is close to."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "It's probably the cake, Rin."


	73. Chapter 73

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 73<br>The Truth

Okay, Thea told herself. It's been almost a week. I'm an empath. I can deal with this.

It had become glaringly obvious what she was after a few talks with Quatre. She could feel that ever present buzzing sound go out of her life. Those moments where she was just upset and she couldn't figure out why had gone away, too. Why couldn't I have met him years ago?

Now it was time to work on the other things that she didn't know. Quatre had said there was quite a bit about this town that she didn't know. She'd lived two towns over for her entire life. What was here?

And the person she wanted to find was Kagome.

Thea knocked on the door and walked in when someone called, "Come in." A black-haired girl looked at her from her computer desk. "Hi."

"Hello. Um, is Kagome around?"

Rin shook her head. "Nope. She went shopping downtown with Sango." Thea's shoulders fell just a little. "Can I help with something?"

Thea began to shake her head, but remembered something. Kagome had said that she could ask Rin about what was going on. "Maybe," Thea said. "Do you know about..." She paused. "This is really hard to ask because there's a good chance you're going to think I'm nuts."

Rin laughed. "Go ahead."

"I don't know what I'm really trying to find out," Thea confessed.

"Well, Kagome said you were an empath."

Thea blinked. "That would be a good start. Yes, I am."

"You didn't know you were and that you'd probably find Kagome or one of her friends to ask." Rin smiled. "So what do you want to know?"

Thea shrugged. "I don't know."

"Been there," Rin said sympathetically. "I came to school and got the whole speech, too."

"Why?"

"I saw something that was inevitable. I mean, I would have seen something like that sooner or later." Rin shook her head. "Never mind."

She took a deep breath. "Why don't you sit down for a few minutes and I'll start talking. Tell me when to stop." Thea sat and Rin began. "You're an empath, so this'll be easier for you than it was for me. Magic exists."

Rin waited and Thea stared at her. "There's good magic and bad magic. There's also a normal university, which is the one we go to, and there's a mage university in town. A person who practices magic is called a mage."

"Where's the other university?"

"It's that boarding school down the street."

Thea nodded slowly. "Magic. Okay."

"People who aren't mages, like me, can do certain kinds of magic. Elemental magic, small tricks, etc." Rin smiled. "Want to see? I'm a water." Thea nodded and Rin got a glass of water from the bathroom. She concentrated and created a picture out of water droplets. Thea watched with wide eyes as the water flowed out of the glass, drop by drop.

Rin set the glass aside. "There's magic, mages, and a mage university."

Thea swallowed. "I've got it. But I think my brain's going to explode."

"There's only really three major things you need to know. I've already covered one. Does that help?"

"Yes," Thea said thankfully. "I'm not trying to be rude, it's just a lot to..."

"Understand, take in, fully comprehend. Your brain's saying 'that doesn't exist' when you've already seen things that it could be explained by. Sango and I have already done this."

Thea looked puzzled. "You two didn't know?"

Rin shook her head. "Everyone else did."

Thea got up from the bed where she had been sitting. "Um... I've got class at ten. Thank you for talking to me."

Rin glanced at the clock. It read nine o'clock. "No problem. I'll tell Kagome you were here." Thea waved and walked out of the room.

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"Hey."

Thea turned to look at Shippo. He smiled at her. "You look a little out of sorts," he said. "Something wrong?"

She opened her notebook and wrote something quickly. Passing it to him, he took it and read. 'I just found out that there are mages, magic, and another university.'

He uncapped a pen and wrote under it. 'Sure are.'

'Do you know any?'

Shippo grinned. 'What, mages or magic?'

'Either.'

'I know both.'

'This is so... I don't know whether to say interesting or weird.'

'How about both?'

Thea grinned at him. 'Rin just did this thing with water droplets and I was torn between 'I wonder if I can do that or just sitting there with my mouth hanging open.'

'You can probably do that. You might not be a water, though.'

'Can you?'

'No. I'm an air.'

Thea frowned. 'What's an air?'

'It means the element I can work with. I can ask for a breeze, cause something to float on the air, etc.'

'Wow.'

'If you want to see that kind of stuff, why don't you come to Inuyasha's tomorrow?'

'Magic show?'

Shippo laughed. 'No. There's a bunch of us that go to his house to study. Part of that is magic. We usually get together around one in the afternoon.'

'Are you sure it would be all right?'

'I'll call him when class ends. I'll call you after him with the answer. I don't think he'll say anything.'

'Okay.' Class began and the notebook ceased to pass between them.

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"Kagome?" Rin said when she walked through the door.

"Yes?"

"Thea wanted to talk to you this morning. I told her I'd send you over." She paused. "I told her about magic, elements and such."

Kagome grimaced. "Okay. I've got to go return some books to the library and stop by the cafeteria for some lunch, but I'll go see her after that."

She collected her books and began the walk to the library. She dropped them off with barely a thought and went on her way to the cafeteria. She picked up a tin-foil wrapped sandwich and a bottle of juice. Yahiko took her card and Kagome walked out of the cafeteria, still planning on what to tell Thea.

Her head came out of the clouds long enough to notice a group of boys bearing down on her. Kouga approached from the other side of the courtyard. Kagome looked around for a friend or some cover, but couldn't find anything. She ducked back into the building, ran up the stairs, and out the side entrance.

Can't go back to the dorm room, she thought. That's what they'd expect. So what wouldn't they expect? Kagome grinned and ran across the courtyard. She'd go into the mage university.

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Once there, she wondered if that had been such a brilliant idea after all. Now she was on a whole campus of unfriendlies. Her sandwich was still in her pocket so she chose a seat outside of the cafeteria.

By the time she finished her sandwich, she was pretty relaxed. Then she caught a glimpse of Kouga. She almost groaned, but didn't. Any sound from her and he could probably home in on it. Glancing around, she didn't see anything to hide behind...

She caught the eye of a girl sitting at the next table over. The other lady raised an eyebrow and said, "Guy trouble?" Kagome nodded. "My name's Merula." She reached into her pocket and waved a fluttering handkerchief at her. "Take this."

Kagome accepted it and the girl whispered a few words. Kouga passed right by. Kagome frowned. "How...?"

The girl winked. "One of the great mysteries of my major. Written magic."

Kagome's eyes widened and she held out the handkerchief. "Thank you."

She snickered. "He can be a bother, can't he? He's hit on half the girls on campus."

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"Thea? Rin said you came to talk to me this morning." Kagome walked into her room at a wave of welcome.

"I did. I wanted to know what I didn't." Thea smiled. "Rin explained mages, magic, and the other university to me."

Kagome nodded. "Had enough for one day or did you want to know something else?"

"Sure."

Kagome sat down on Thea's bed and looked at her sitting at her desk. She told her the legend of the Source of Magic and explained that she was its current result.

Thea blinked. "That wasn't what I was expecting. Are you very important to the mage community? Do they have a community?"

"Yes to both questions," Kagome said. "I tote a huge trashbag full of notes, letters, cards, flowers, candy, and gifts down to the ground floor every other day. Somehow they think that sending me those things is endearing." She rolled her eyes. "It's my fourth year and they still haven't figured it out."

The phone rang and Thea rolled forward to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Thea."

"Hi, Shippo," she said.

"Inuyasha's fine, so you now have an invitation."

Thea breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just a study thing?"

"Yeah. Notes, textbooks, pencils, that sort of thing. There's usually some kind of sandwich and cookies running around."

"It must be tiring trying to study and chasing down food," Thea teased lightly.

"Well, the cookies do try to hide in the oven."

Thea laughed. "Directions?"

"I could come get you or you could ask Kagome when she's going."

"She's right here. Hold on a minute." Thea turned to Kagome. "Shippo's invited me to a study thing. He says you could show me where it is."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. You can walk there with me and Rin."

Thea relayed this to Shippo and they said good-bye. "So, I guess you're coming to the Saturday studying thing," Kagome said.

She shrugged. "I was talking about magic and he said if I wanted to see that, I should go to Inuyasha's house."

"I'll definitely be practicing my wards homework tomorrow."

Thea's eyes widened. "You're a mage."

Kagome chuckled. "A low to medium range mage. I really can't do that much. According to Rin, you've only got one more thing to know. The little things you can pick up later."

"What's a little thing?" Thea asked.

She shrugged. "Such as most of the normal university staff know about the mage university. Like Kenshin and... What teachers do you have?" Thea listed three of them and Kagome nodded. "They all know."

"This is a lot to get used to." Thea looked up at the ceiling.

"I agree," Kagome said. "It'll get easier. You don't have to take classes at the mage university if you don't want to. Magic usually isn't seen on the normal university. All you've got to worry about is your empathic senses."

Thea smirked. "Oh, is that all?"


	74. Chapter 74

**Just under 20 more chapters of Moonsilver's Inuyasha FanFiction "Source of Magic", which they wrote several years ago.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 74<br>Conversation

Kagome and Rin came to get Thea as they had promised. Together, they walked to Inuyasha's house on a fine Sunday morning. "It's hot," Rin said.

"Not too hot. It's only mid-fifties."

"But it's the middle of October," Rin protested.

Kagome sighed. "So you want it to be thirty outside and we freeze in our fall clothes before we go home for Thanksgiving to get warmer ones?"

"Good point."

Kagome pointed at the house. "There it is, Thea. The one with the porch."

They made up the distance in a moment and stepped on the porch. Kagome didn't knock, but walked right in. Thea followed Rin and looked around. Sango was on the living room couch with a man she didn't know.

"Hi, Thea!" Shippo said. He held up a plate. "Do you like roast beef sandwiches?" She nodded. "They're in the kitchen."

"Sesshoumaru's sandwiches are the best," Kagome said happily. She dashed into the kitchen, leaving Thea with Rin.

Inuyasha dodged to the side as Kagome ran through. "Geez, you'd think no one ever fed her," he muttered loudly.

"Hey! You get to eat your brother's cooking all the time." There was the telltale rattling of plates that signaled someone was getting something to eat.

"Inuyasha? This is Thea," Rin introduced.

He nodded in her direction and then took a closer look. He frowned. "Aren't you in Art History with Hiko? Thursday from nine to eleven thirty?" She nodded. "I'm in that class. Huh, I already know you." He glanced toward the kitchen. "Help yourself to the fridge." Rin took Thea off.

Kagome came back with a cut up roast beef sandwich. Gravy gooshed as she stabbed her fork into the sandwich. Once the sandwich was gone, she returned the dishes to the sink. Thea had found a place on the floor to spread out and Rin had joined her. Sango and Miroku were on the couch, Sesshoumaru was in his chair, and Shippo had claimed the other one.

Inuyasha looked up from his textbook and grinned at Kagome. "I almost forgot. There's something I've got to show you." He stood up and started towards the stairs. "Go out on the porch."

Kagome shrugged and did as he said. She was still waiting when the front door opened and Inuyasha stepped out. "So what-"

She closed her eyes and held up her hands in defense. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "Hah," Inuyasha said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. "That was for the silly string incident last Christmas."

Kagome used her sleeve to try to wipe the excess water off. "You waited almost a year to hit me with a water balloon?"

"Well, it wasn't warm enough last May."

Kagome sighed. "And it's warm enough now?"

"Sure." Inuyasha walked inside and got her a towel. "Use that to dry off a little and we'll walk back to your dorm for some dry clothes."

Kagome took the towel and glared at him. "That was a 'we', right?" He nodded. "Great, now I've got to think up some revenge." Inuyasha grinned at her, but walked inside again to tell everyone where they were going.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Done yet?" Inuyasha asked from outside the dorm room.

"That balloon splashed everything I had on," Kagome called back. "So pardon me if you have to wait."

"It was worth it."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Yeah, yeah. Her getting soaked was... Now what was she going to do to him? Besides make him wait an eternity for her to get dressed.

She was still thinking about it on her way back to his house. Her inattention might have been the reason for her predicament.

It was fall. The leaves on the trees were dying. It would follow that the leaves would fall on the sidewalk. They fell everywhere else, why not the sidewalk? It was the leaves and their tendency to be slippery that put her in this position.

Kagome stepped down on a patch of leaves that had a pinecone underneath. Her foot rolled with the pinecone and she almost went down. She caught herself in time. But Inuyasha, with his damsel in distress complex, had reached out to steady her.

She looked up and they both realized at the same time that they had done this already. Kagome stepped away and said, ""We've been in this situation before."

Inuyasha looked at her cautiously. "Yeah."

"We didn't talk about it."

"No."

Kagome stifled her urge to sigh. "We're talking about it now."

"Yes."

She looked at the house across the street, deliberately not looking at him. "So... You kissed me."

Inuyasha didn't respond.

Hm, she thought. Where are we going with this? "Was that a 'because you were there' kiss or...something else?"

"Something else?" Inuyasha asked uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"Like a 'more than friendly' kiss."

"We're friends," he said defensively.

"Yes, we're friends," she said patiently. "Do we want to be more than friends?"

Inuyasha paused. "Why?"

Kagome sighed heavily. "Because if it was just for the heck of it, we admit it, keep walking, and we're friends. If it's something else, something more than friendship, I guess we might consider dating." Kagome peeked over at him.

"Okay."

Kagome sighed. "Okay, what?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I guess we're dating. If you don't mind."

Kagome shook her head. "Nah. It's okay." She looked at the sidewalk ahead of her and began walking again.

By the time they had almost reached his house, she noticed that he was walking stiffly. He wasn't looking at her, they weren't talking...

Kagome reached out and gave him a nudge with the side of her arm. He looked at her and said, "What?"

She snorted. "Don't get all weird on me." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You're tense," she explained. "Nothing's changed, you know."

"Really?" he said sarcastically.

"Nothing important," Kagome insisted. "We're still friends. We're going to go into that house, study, steal cookies from each other, and complain about our homework." She looked at him, expecting him to get it.

Inuyasha nodded after a few seconds. "Okay." He nudged back. "Fine with me." She grinned and they continued to his house.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What did we miss?" Kagome asked as soon as she walked in.

"Thea wants to know the third thing," Sango told her.

Kagome's mind went blank for a minute. "Oh! The third thing in 'The Guide to What Really Happens Around Campus'. I've got it."

She plunked herself down next to Thea. "Humans are not the only intelligent species on the planet."

Thea blinked a few times. "Okay."

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru. He nodded. "The other species is called youkai," he began. "Typically, they are human shaped with an animal side. There are youkai who are an animal/human mesh, such as a pig that stands upright. That is their one form. Or you can have a youkai that has an animal shape and a human shape. There are some that have a few animal characteristics and a completely animal side. It depends on the youkai."

"They are stronger than humans and generally have better senses. They are magical, but it varies how strong they are. Those are the differences."

Thea nodded her head. "Are there any in town?"

"Yes. A few hundred live here all year and there are more during the school year."

Thea took a deep breath. "Magic exists. There's another university that's filled with mages and mage students. Kagome is the Source. And now I find out that there's another species living on the planet. One that I've probably seen and not known it, right?"

"That is correct," Sesshoumaru said. "Most youkai have illusions in this time. It cuts down on the 'ah, a monster' screaming."

Thea smiled at him. "So... Kagome, you're a mage." She nodded. "And Rin can work elemental magic. I'm an empath." She shook her head. "This is so..."

"Out there. Strange. Weird. Cannot be happening," Kagome said. "You don't think about it all the time. Not everyone you meet is going to be something strange."

"What does a youkai look like?" Thea asked.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Um..."

"Thea," Sesshoumaru said softly. "A youkai under an illusion spell looks like I do." Thea watched him. He took the spell off. "This is what a youkai in human form looks like." He touched the stripes on his face. "I won't show you my animal form, but it is a white dog about four stories tall."

Inuyasha sighed. "The other side to the equation is what happens when a youkai and a human have a child." Thea moved her watching to him. "You have a hanyou." He took his illusion off and showed her the ears, the fangs, and the claws.

Thea swallowed. "Okay. Magic, mages, another university, Source of Magic, and youkai." She frowned. "Actually, with all of the previous knowledge, this doesn't seem so weird."

Kagome patted her on the arm. "Nah. They're just the same as humans, but with a few extras."

"Are there many more surprises?" Thea asked calmly.

"Hm... Source of Magic, low to medium level mage, library science major... Nothing on my end," Kagome said. "You're an undecided major with empathy."

Rin held up a hand. "Psychology major and I can work a little bit of elemental magic."

"Biology major, elemental magic, and my familiar, Tama," Sango said.

Kagome snapped her fingers. "I forgot about Kaie!" Glancing at Thea, she said, "There's a class in the mage university called Summoning a Familiar. Rin and I are taking it now and we've already summoned ours. They're not here today, but we'll introduce them later."

"What Kagome hasn't mentioned is that they're dragons," Rin told her.

"Dragons," Thea said flatly. Kagome nodded. "Okay."

Miroku smiled. "I used to be a professor at the mage university, but now I'm getting my doctorate. I mostly teach wards and protective magics."

"I'm a doctor at the mage university," Sesshoumaru said. "The youkai part you're already aware of."

"Battle magic major, hanyou," Inuyasha said shortly.

Shippo winced as his turn came around. "I lied," he told her. "That day when we were in the library and you asked what my major was? You didn't know about magic, so..."

Thea shrugged. "No problem."

"Illusions and Deceptive Tactics," he said. He turned off his illusion. "I'm a kitsune, too. It's a Japanese fox-spirit." He curled his tail around by his right leg.

Thea stared at his tail for a moment and then looked back up at him. "Then what are you doing taking Political Science?"

He twitched his tail. "I wanted something different."

"So I'm sitting in a room with mages and youkai." She digested this for a moment.

"Want to go home?" Kagome asked quietly.

Thea slowly shook her head. "I don't think so. This is just a little weird. I grew up around here and never knew."

"Most don't," Kagome told her.

Thea looked down at her homework. "Why did I stop working on this? Oh. Because I had a problem with question two." She looked at Shippo who climbed out of the chair to take a look at it.

Kagome shrugged and went back to studying with Inuyasha. Miroku hid a grin. Rin and Sango exchanged a glance. Sesshoumaru went back to his book.

She wrote down notes on a relevant part of the textbook when she saw something move. Kagome glanced up and saw Inuyasha's hand reaching across the textbook toward the cookies on her side. She looked at him and raised one eyebrow. He grinned at her and began eating the cookie. Yeah, everything was going to be all right.


	75. Chapter 75

**I'm so sorry for how long it's been since the last update. I didn't have internet Friday through Sunday, and I've been ill the last couple days -enough that I only just managed to stay up on updates to a few of the stories I'm following-, and I simply didn't log-in to update "Source of Magic". Rest assured, I'm back and ready to go.**

**I even have ****_another_**** RWBY fic in the works. I seem to be constantly finding ideas to write, most simply end up as notes or quick scribbles I never flesh out, but some I actually turn into full stories -even if only a single chapter- and perhaps one day even little one-line ideas might turn into something for me to share.**

**Onward!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 75<br>Halloween

Thea called, "It's open!"

"Good morning!" Kagome said cheerfully.

Thea looked up from her textbook. "Oh, you've saved me from my U.S. History notes."

Rin laughed. "You might not be so happy in a minute."

"Yes," Kagome said solemnly. "Let me spin you a tale. Last year, there were two female dormmates. They were both very beautiful and had lots of classes."

"I'm not sure about the beautiful part, but the classes were true," Rin added.

"It was winter and it was cold. The two ladies fell ill. Horribly ill with fevers and coughing. They were both rescued by a handsome knight and taken to a woman he knew. The woman nursed them and they were better in a week."

"Again," Rin said, "I'm not sure about the handsome knight part."

Thea blinked. "The moral of the story?"

"Get your flu shot because living in a dorm is really bad. When one person gets it, that's it for the whole building," Kagome said bluntly. "In the words of my first roommate, 'I am not nursing you through cold chills, waking you up for medicine at two in the morning, or fetching tissues if it can be prevented.'"

Rin rolled her eyes. "So we came to ask if you'd like to go with us to get a flu shot. We both hate needles, so it's better if there's another person there."

Thea shrugged and got up. "I don't mind them and I don't want to get sick, so I guess I'd better go get one."

She walked the few steps to them and paused. "Aren't we going?"

Kagome shook her head. "Let me tell you about Inuyasha's first year flu shot..."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that same week, Rin and Kagome collected Thea from her room. "There are two?" Thea asked.

Rin nodded. "Two universities, two parties. So we'll stop in at both. The normal university's really only good because of Kenshin's cookies."

"And the mage university?" Thea asked.

Kagome winced. "We're going to stop in because it's tradition. We'll pick up the guys there."

Sango was downstairs in the lobby and accompanied them to their campus's party. Thea was firmly sold on the idea of Kenshin's cookies by the time she had finished one.

"Kenshin, we've got a slight problem," Kagome said with a sigh. "It's my last year and I don't know whether or not I'm going to be able to survive without your cooking."

He smiled. "That's all right, Miss Kagome. So many students have said the same thing over the past four years that I am starting a small bakery service. I will work here part-time during the school year and the other part will be at home. I hope to have a website by the time everyone leaves at the end of this school year."

Kagome's eyes widened. "That's great! Melly can order cookies on her own now."

Kaoru smiled. "I've been telling him to start a bakery for years now."

"But, Kaoru-"

"Don't say it, Kenshin. Flour is not bad for the baby."

"Yes, Kaoru."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They left their party after half an hour and went to the mage university's. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo were waiting for them by the door. "Ready?" Inuyasha said grinning.

Kagome sighed. "We're not staying long. Hopefully, nothing will happen."

Thea frowned. "Like what?"

"Let's get some refreshments before we talk about that," Miroku said tactfully.

Once they were all sitting down at a table with their cups of punch and various cookies and candy, Thea asked again. "The first year... Someone summoned a demon and focused it on me," Kagome told her.

"A demon?" Thea said with a squeak.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. But Ranma got rid of it."

Sango shivered. "The second year it was illusions of what you were afraid of. I saw clowns."

"My wedding reception," Kagome added.

"Spiders," Inuyasha muttered.

"The ouija board that someone channeled ghosts through," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Tokio handled that very well."

"Last year, when you looked up, the ceiling was of little men looking down on you. I thought it was an illusion, but Shippo said it was real."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Thea ventured.

Kagome grimaced. "Very evil little red men."

Shippo closed his eyes and created a small replica of what they had seen. Thea stared and shook her head. "Very scary."

"Oh, it got worse," Kagome said. "The dead walked. Naraku set a bunch of skeletons loose."

Thea looked around. "This is a joke, right?"

Miroku shook his head. "No. That's why we're not going to stay long this year."

"I think it's me," Kagome said. "Something like that happens every year when I get here."

"It is not," Inuyasha told her.

"Is too," Kagome said stubbornly.

"You're here now and is anything spooky going on?"

Kagome looked around. Innocent paper streamers were flapping in the small breeze, the music wasn't extremely loud, everyone was having fun. "No..."

The lights flickered.

They all looked up. "It's windy tonight," Miroku said calmly. "It might just be a branch hitting the power lines."

The lights went out. Miroku conjured a ball of light and fire sprang to life in Inuyasha's hand. "Back-up generator?" Inuyasha asked.

Miroku shook his head. "It should come on any minute now."

*BANG*

They turned toward the doors. "How did they get shut?" Miroku muttered.

"Worse, what's making that much effort to come in?" Shippo asked.

*BANG*

The lights came back on just in time for them to see things stream through the doors. From her classes, Kagome identified ghouls, goblins, vampires, werewolves...

They had all gotten to their feet, but Shippo sat down. "Illusion," he pronounced.

Miroku took a closer look and relaxed. "They're not real."

Thea looked at them worriedly. "They look real." People around them were running and screaming.

Inuyasha squinted. "Kagome, you want to put up a ward?"

She nodded. "On three." They counted and a lavender ward flashed up between them. It spread to encompass the whole table.

Thea watched as the things went around their table, not even attempting to harm them. She gave a relieved sigh. "They're not real?"

"No," Shippo said cheerfully. "This must be someone's idea of a joke."

Miroku looked toward the stage. His line of sight was blocked, but he sensed a few mages up there. "Or the darker mages got permission to play this Halloween."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"I-" Miroku began, but found himself in a tree. He looked down at the ground below him. He heard something moving below him and his insides chilled with fear.

No, he thought. This is over. I know how to prevent this now. They can't hurt me.

The thing came into view and he shivered at the sight. It was a dog. It had been run over and its back leg was hanging on by a thread. He heard another noise and saw an unknown youkai slithering toward him.

"This isn't real," he said. "It isn't. I was at a Halloween party."

Once he realized that, he woke up. He looked around and saw that all of his friends were in the same trance. He turned to Sango and shook her gently. "Wake up, Sango. It isn't real, whatever you're seeing."

She opened her eyes slowly and focused on him. "Miroku? I was lost at a circus..."

"It wasn't real," he insisted. "It's a mass dream illusion. Wake everyone up." He moved to Shippo who was sitting beside him. Sango turned to Rin.

Once they had all woken up, they took a good look around. People everywhere were cornered by the illusion-creatures that had come through the door. Others were caught in the same nightmares they were.

And on stage, five dark mages were smirking at the auditorium.

"That is quite enough of that," said a firm voice.

"I agree."

They turned and saw Zechs, Duo, and Quatre behind them. "What's going on?" Miroku asked.

"Naraku got a few people together and launched a powerful illusion/dream spell. If the illusion didn't get you, the dream spell would." Duo shook his head.

Zechs began to speak and the illusions disappeared one by one. Quatre closed his eyes and began waking the dreamers while Duo steadied him.

Naraku and the other mages fought to keep their control, but they were no match for the other two mages. Zechs wasn't attacking them directly, but their creations. Quatre was only waking the dreamers.

Kagome looked around after everything had disappeared. "Inuyasha?" she said sweetly. "What were you saying about the spooky things not being my fault?"

He froze. "I think," he said slowly, "that we are going to leave the party and go to my house. Movies and Sesshoumaru's cookies sound really good right now."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

They watched the Halloween specials of Peanuts and Garfield first. Since no one wanted to go home, they continued their television special with Casper and Hocus Pocus. By the time that the last movie had hit the credits, almost everyone was asleep.

Miroku and Sango were curled up together on the couch. Inuyasha snickered. "I do not want to be him in the morning," he whispered. "He'll fall off and then wonder why he hurts so much."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Shippo was in the chair and Thea was on the loveseat. Rin had toddled off to the guest room after Casper. Sesshoumaru had left before Hocus Pocus started.

Inuyasha pointed toward the stairs and Kagome followed him. "You get the bed and I get the floor," he told her.

Kagome didn't argue. She climbed into his bed and fell asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, are you going to wake up or not?"

Kagome stirred and found Inuyasha sitting on the edge of the bed. "Morning," she mumbled.

"It is morning. Nine thirty to be exact. Sess is up and he says he'll be making breakfast in a few minutes. You don't get a shower in the morning, do you?"

"I'll get one when I go back to my room. Clean clothes, too. I hadn't planned on spending the night." Kagome sat up and yawned.

"I thought..." Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Could we talk for a few minutes? Everyone's either asleep, in the shower, or watching television."

Kagome shrugged. "What about?"

"Um... We're still dating, right?" Kagome nodded. "Was last night a date?"

She blinked. "I don't know."

"Well, did you want to go on one where we both know what it is?"

She looked into his eyes and asked a very important question. "What's a date?"

"Uh... Going out. Doing stuff."

"We've been to the movies together, had dinner, taken walks. What's the difference?"

Inuyasha scratched his head. "I don't know. I just thought I'd ask."

Kagome smiled at him. "Why don't we go walk downtown around one? That work?" Inuyasha nodded. "Good. Up, I've got to visit the ladies." Inuyasha moved and Kagome walked out of the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After she'd had a shower and some clean clothes, Kagome worked on her computer until Inuyasha showed up. He was uncomfortable until Kagome pointed a finger at him and said, "Would you ease up? What's the problem?"

He sat down on Rin's bed. "I don't know."

Kagome sat down on the other end. "Regretting something?"

"No!" he told her. "I just... You're my friend and now you're..."

Kagome snickered. "Have I told you that I thought you were hot since the first few weeks of college?" His jaw dropped and she laughed out loud. "But I told myself you were a friend and I wanted to keep you that way. So we're dating. So what? We're still friends, we still act the same."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't expect me to go all gooey and tell you that you're right all the time, do you?" He shook his head. "Good. Because I'm still going to argue with you."

Inuyasha sighed. "We're just going to continue like we have been?"

Kagome nodded. "Unless you want something to change. We'll still do the same things. The only thing that's really changed is the way we see each other."

Inuyasha looked at the ceiling. "Yeah. I never noticed-" He stopped in mid-sentence. "Not going to say that."

"Awww..." Kagome said mock-disappointed. "We walk downtown, look in the stores we usually do, buy some jelly beans, and come home. That's it."

Inuyasha grinned. "That we can do."


	76. Chapter 76

**As usual: "Source of Magic" was written by Moonsilver, and I have made no edits nor do I lay any claim to it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 76<br>Message in Frost

Inuyasha glanced up from his book. "Those for Rin," he asked casually.

Sesshoumaru nodded and removed the tape from the VCR. "Yes."

"So... Interested?"

The older brother glanced at him. "In what?"

Inuyasha put his book down. "You. Interested. Rin."

Sesshoumaru looked affronted. "Of course not."

He shrugged. "I don't know. You tape episodes of Stargate for her."

"So we can watch them later."

Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah. You watch Stargate together, you play chess more than I've ever seen, and you're constantly making her things to take home."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "She enjoys the show, she's a better player than you, and I make things for everyone."

Inuyasha sniffed. "I don't see anyone else getting sugar cookies with pink icing and those little sprinkles." He dropped the non-serious attitude and said, "You do like her, don't you?"

Sesshoumaru sat down with a sigh. "I am almost thirty years old, Inuyasha. She's twenty."

"She'll be twenty-one in February," Inuyasha said immediately.

"Nine years of age difference. I'm an old man next to her."

Inuyasha frowned. "That's it? Just the age difference?"

Sesshoumaru gave him a look. "She's beautiful, intelligent, we share a lot of likes and dislikes, and if she were closer to my age, I would've asked her out already."

"But she's not."

"No," Sess said, "she isn't."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome woke up and climbed out of bed. She toddled the few steps to her computer and started it up for the day. Glancing out the window, she sighed.

"Something wrong?" Rin asked. She had been up for a while already and was typing an email to a friend.

"There's a message on my window."

"Really?" Rin said, getting up. She looked at it and grinned. "So there is."

The message was a typical 'I love you, date me' message. Kagome glared at it. "Rin, you're a water. I don't suppose you could get rid of it?"

Rin touched the glass and the water slowly evaporated. "There." She sighed. "I wish someone would-" Her eyes widened and she dove back towards her computer.

Kagome laughed. "No, you are not stopping right there. You wish what?"

"Nothing," she squeaked.

"Come on," Kagome coaxed. "Is it someone on our floor? In one of your classes?"

"Promise you won't tell!"

Kagome crossed her heart. "I promise. Unless it's for your own good."

Rin glared at her. "That's not a good promise."

"Best one I can give."

She sighed. "I suppose. Do you think nine years is too much?"

Kagome blinked. "Uh... Who are we talking about?" Rin frowned. "Well, some guys are too mature and some guys aren't mature enough. It depends on the guy."

"Sesshoumaru," Rin muttered.

"Him?" Kagome said loudly.

"Hush! So what if it is him?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "Okay. Is this a crush or...?"

Rin swallowed hard. "I thought it was a crush last winter when we came back from January break. Then I thought about him all summer and when we got back to school..." She shrugged. "Don't know. It hasn't gone away."

Kagome hissed in sympathy. "Well, if it hasn't budged in that long, you're probably in love with him."

Rin looked miserable. "Great. Just great. In love with a guy almost a decade my senior who wouldn't look at me if I wore a neon green muumuu."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome answered the phone shortly after Rin had left for class. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kagome."

"Hi," she said.

"I don't know if our colleges run on the same schedule, but have you picked up your paperwork for graduation yet?"

She frowned. "Nope. I should go find out, though."

"You don't have to be to class before one, right?"

"Yeah."

"Could you come over for a few minutes?"

"Sure. I'll see about the paperwork first. Bye, Inuyasha."

"Bye, Kagome. See you soon."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome picked up the application for graduation paperwork and headed to Inuyasha's. Once she arrived, they sat down in the living room. "Sess is at work. I've got a question."

"Okay," Kagome said. "What is it?"

He frowned. "This is a strange question, but do you think Rin has a problem with age difference?"

Kagome stared at him. "What kind of difference?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Like going out with someone who's older than she is."

She grinned. "I think that Rin would love to go out with someone that age."

"Do you know something I don't know?" he asked.

"Maybe."

"Sess..."

"And Rin..."

They stared at each other. "You mean, that the both of them..." Inuyasha said slowly.

Kagome shook her head. "I just found out this morning."

"I got it out of Sess last night."

Inuyasha held up a hand. "Just so we're on the same page, Sesshoumaru and Rin like each other?" Kagome nodded. "As far as I can tell, Sess's been mooning over her for months."

"Almost a year," Kagome said triumphantly.

Inuyasha sighed. "Kagome, it is our sworn duty to make sure they know. We would be relapse as friends if we didn't."

"How are we going to do it?" Kagome asked.

"We'll just have to think of something."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Shoot," Kagome said, rummaging through a pile of papers. "Rin, have you seen my graduation application?"

Rin looked at her and shook her head. "No, I haven't. Where'd you have it last?"

"Inuyasha's. Want to walk there with me?"

Rin shrugged. "Sure. I've got to pick one up, too."

Kagome put on her coat and frowned. "You've got another year left."

"No, I don't," Rin disagreed. "I made up my extra year in summer classes. I'm going to graduate this year."

"Huh. Thanks for letting me know."

Rin grinned at her. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Kagome waited for Rin to get her coat and shoes on. Surprise. Yeah, it's going to be a surprise for you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inuyasha opened the door for them and nodded to Kagome's question about her papers. "I think they're in the kitchen." The two girls followed Inuyasha.

Kagome found her papers on the table and said hello to Sesshoumaru. "Good afternoon," he said politely. "Did you want to stay for dinner? I haven't started fixing it yet, but I was thinking of steak, mashed potatoes, maybe some string beans."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Actually, we've got something to tell the two of you."

Kagome nodded. "Yes, we do."

"See, Kagome came over today and we had a talk about something," Inuyasha began.

"Two people had told us the same thing," Kagome added.

"I had a talk with Sess about Rin."

"And Rin spoke to me about Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha and Kagome talked to each other and left the other two people in the room out of it. "They're both concerned about the age difference."

"Only in reverse," Kagome added. "One's too old, one's too young."

"But they both feel the same way."

"Yes. They're both intelligent, mature, and interested."

"I don't see why not, really." Inuyasha shrugged. "It isn't like anyone's going to talk."

Kagome snorted. "Not with both of them being on two different campuses. And the whole professor/student thing doesn't come in. Now the college employee/student thing does."

"But Rin's not being treated on the mage university campus, so it doesn't apply."

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at Rin and Sesshoumaru. "Sorry for intruding," Inuyasha told Sesshoumaru.

Kagome smiled at Rin. "But we both had information that you didn't."

"Kagome and I are going to the normal university cafeteria to have some dinner," Inuyasha said. "We'll be back in an hour or so."

"Meanwhile, Rin said she was hungry," Kagome added. They both hurried out of the house.

Sesshoumaru stood in the kitchen staring at the entranceway. Rin glanced at him. "They were right?"

He nodded. "Yes, I think they were."

"Good. I think so, too."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Kagome hinted, broadly, that you wouldn't mind dinner?"

Rin shook her head. "That sounds fine to me."

"Would you like to go to the Special or should I cook?"

"Whichever you'd prefer."

"They're going to be back in an hour, so why don't we go out?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inuyasha and Kagome made lots of noise coming up the porch and peeked inside. Rin was on the loveseat and Sess was in his chair. They were both staring with avid fascination at the television.

He groaned. "Don't tell me that after all that work, you two just stayed in and watched Stargate?"

They hit a commercial break and Sess told him calmly, "No. We went to dinner and came back."

Kagome looked at Rin. "Well?"

Rin blinked innocently. "What?"

She shook her head and leaned over to whisper in Inuyasha's ear. "You find out what happened when we leave. I'll do the same."

"Whispering in this house isn't very good, Kagome," Sesshoumaru said. "Excellent hearing. We had dinner and wanted to watch Stargate. We're also going out Friday evening to the movies, if that's what you wish to know."

"You're dating?" Kagome asked eagerly.

"I think so," Rin said.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru said firmly.


	77. Chapter 77

**So, by this point Kagome and Inuyasha might as well be together, and Rin and Sesshoumaru are dating (if my memory serves me, I'm only skimming them as I upload them), and we are only a dozen or so chapters from the end.**

**Without further delay, here are the next set.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 77<br>McDonald's

Kagome balanced the tupperware containers while she unlocked the door. Rin was out to one of her classes while Kagome had gone to see Inuyasha on the Monday after Thanksgiving break. Sesshoumaru had sent her home with containers of turkey, gravy, and cookies.

This is going to taste so good, she thought. Turkey and gravy were perfect for dinner since she'd had to leave all of her family's leftovers in their refrigerator at home. Not to say that she hadn't gorged herself silly on turkey, stuff, mashed potatoes...

She shook her head. Mind off of food, she thought. Another helping of turkey is good right now, but I ate way too much over the weekend. It's lunchtime and I'm not even tempted to sneak a piece of turkey. What does that tell you?

The door finally accepted the key and Kagome put it back in her pocket. She stepped into the room and her jaw fell to the floor.

A small table with a lace tablecloth was in the center of the room. Soft candlelight spread out to touch the food presented. A goblet was filled halfway with an amber liquid beside a plate of something Kagome couldn't identify.

The man on the other side rose and smiled at her. "Would you care to sit, my lady? Enjoy a small lunch with me?"

Kagome closed her eyes. "No, thank you."

He lowered his gaze. "I know it isn't much, but I have done the best I could."

"I can see that," Kagome said politely. "But I don't know you. You didn't ask me to lunch." She frowned. "And, unless Rin has suddenly lost a bit of her common sense, you broke into the room after she'd locked the door."

"What is a door in the path of true love?" he said marvelously.

Kagome shook her head. "You broke into my room and now you're trying-" She sighed. "No. Take the table and lunch and leave."

"But I went through all this trouble!" The guy started to lose a little of his graceful manner. "You've got to-"

Kagome glared at him. "I don't have to do anything. In fact, have this all out of here by the time I get back."

She turned to leave, but he ran forward and caught her arm. "You're not leaving," he said forcefully. "You're going to sit down and eat this meal."

She began to struggle. "No, I'm not!"

"Kagome, do you have a copy of," Inuyasha began as he walked into the room. He raised an eyebrow when he saw who was there. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, yanking her arm free. "This guy just invited me to lunch after breaking into my dorm room. He's leaving."

The other man scowled at her. "Why do you have to be so difficult? You're over twenty-one years old. When are you going to start dating someone?"

"I don't have to start dating until I want to. And when I do, it won't be you," Kagome retorted.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I guess you're off her potential dating list. Kagome, Sess wanted to watch Terminator 3 tonight."

"I don't have that one."

"Okay," he said easily. "Want to walk down to the video store with me?" She nodded and left the room. The man inside narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but began cleaning up.

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Kagome and Thea hopped in the car. Inuyasha pulled away from the sidewalk and Shippo looked back at them. "Sometimes," he said solemnly, "you don't want cafeteria food."

"Or the Special," Inuyasha added.

They drove until Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. He opened Kagome's door. "Your dinner awaits," he said grandly. Chuckling, Shippo opened Thea's door.

Kagome looked up at the golden arches and sighed. "Thank you so much. I really have a craving for nuggets."

They stepped inside already planning out what they were going to get. "Hi!" someone called. Kagome turned and looked. She smiled and waved at the person.

After they had gotten their meals, they looked for a place to sit. Duo waved them over and they took one of the booths beside the other group. "In case no one remembers our names," Duo said grandly. "I'm Duo and this guy wearing a tank top is Heero." He pointed across the table. "Quatre, the blond Arabian, Trowa, and Wufei."

"Nice to meet you," Kagome said.

They began eating and Duo asked, "So, Kagome, what's the next adventure in the life of the Source?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and told them about the guy in her room. "The thing is, he prepared lunch for me right after Thanksgiving. Who wants to eat another huge meal right after that?"

Duo nodded solemnly. "I understand. Of course, we eat huge meals all the time. Thanksgiving requires two tables with supports under them for all the food."

"Especially with all he eats," Heero muttered.

"That's it, Yuy! Balls at three paces!" Duo yelled. Heero stood and followed Duo as they marched off.

Thea's eyes were wide as Kagome asked the table at large, "Balls?"

"Plastic," Quatre said helpfully.

"Three paces?" Inuyasha asked after devouring a fry.

Quatre shrugged. "There isn't much space inside the netted area."

Wufei nodded to the dragon on Kagome's shoulder. "Good morning, Kaie." She chirped and Wufei's Alastair came into view.

Kagome blinked. "Oh. I forgot you could see her."

Quatre smiled. "It is hard to remember when it's common for them not to be seen." He offered a french fry to someone sitting on the bench beside him. It was taken out of his hand and Quatre glanced at the table. "Want to show yourself?" The head of a small sphinx came into view and stared at them for a while before settling back onto the plastic bench.

Duo and Heero came back with Duo smiling and clapping him on the back. "Hi, guys! We're in the open, huh?" He sniffed at his seat. "Move over, Raven." A black cat came into view and moved under protest. Trowa's gray cat blinked at Kagome a few times and settled back into his lap.

"Now, Heero's is a little strange, so don't be shocked," Duo warned.

Inuyasha looked at the little fellow. "I thought they hid most of the time."

Duo shrugged. "Don't have a clue about that particular gargoyle. But he and Heero get along great. I suppose they've got the whole 'silent as stone' thing going."

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Thea and Shippo were both dropped off, but Kagome went back to Inuyasha's house to watch a movie. "I wouldn't do that," Inuyasha said suddenly.

She frowned and glanced at him. "What?"

"The whole showing up for lunch thing." He smiled at her. "How confusing would it be if you got a present that was supposedly from me and it was from someone else?"

Kagome grimaced. "Good point."

"So when I give you something, I'll do it in person."

"Then I'd better find an anti-illusion charm," Kagome said.


	78. Chapter 78

**As Shippo points out, everyone is dating -or might as well be in Inuyasha and Kagome's case-, so will he find "the one" soon? Read on!**

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Moonsilver, I'm only sharing it -unedited- here for all the Inuyasha fans!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 78<br>Shippo and Thea

"You sure you don't want me to walk you home," Kagome asked for the fourth time.

Thea sighed. "Yes. Shippo's going to escort me back to my dorm room."

Shippo nodded, zipping up his coat. "Why not? I'm going back to my room. It isn't far out of the way."

"Stop being such a mother hen, Kagome," Inuyasha said, laughing.

Kagome smiled at Thea. "All right." She turned around to Inuyasha. "You had better start running."

"Oh, I'm so scared," he said.

"You'd better be. I'm going to find some nice healthy celery in the refrigerator and shove it in your mouth," she threatened.

"No, you're not."

"Why not?" she said, her hands on her hips.

"Because Sess used all the celery last night." He frowned thoughtfully. "I think there's some squash if you want to use that."

Thea chuckled and went out the door, calling, "See you later!" Shippo followed her.

They walked down the sidewalk side by side. "Sango and Miroku," Shippo said. "Sesshoumaru and Rin. Even Kagome and Inuyasha act like they're dating sometimes."

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Thea asked.

He shook his head. "No. Around this time last year, I was dating a girl named Bonnie." He sighed. "She broke up with me right before Christmas."

"Why?" Thea asked. "If it's not too personal."

"She had a boyfriend at home." Thea's eyes widened. "She had fun dating me, but she loved him. They had an agreement to date at college, but still be together. So she went home over break, he broke up with her, and she came back asking if we could be together. I told her no."

He shrugged. "It didn't mess my head up, but I'm not really looking."

Thea nodded. "I don't have a boyfriend at home. Or here, either." They walked for a few more minutes before Thea asked, "But if I wanted to get someone's attention, what would I have to do?"

"Hm. I don't know. It's not really getting the attention, it's being interesting enough to attract his attention." He grimaced. "That sounded really..."

"Male," she filled in. "What kind of interesting?"

"I think it varies from guy to guy. I'd look for someone who..." Shippo thought for a second. "Who had the same interests, someone I could talk to, even if they didn't know what I was talking about."

"Like when you were talking about your illusions homework last Saturday and I didn't have a clue?"

Shippo nodded. "Like that. Same interests like video games."

Thea snorted. "You might want to back away slowly from that one." He gave her a curious look. "You and I? Playing Tekken 5 last week?"

"That was luck!" Shippo insisted.

Thea waved a hand dismissing his comment. "Go on."

"Not mind about the stuff I do."

"Explain."

"Like studying on Saturday and wanting to play games. I don't want to have to be around the girl all the time for her to be happy."

"Who would want to be? Sure, you might like each other a lot or be in love, but you've got to have time to yourself. She'll have things she'll want to do, too."

They crossed the street and Shippo sighed. "Someone I can talk to, same interests, not mind if I'm not with her all the time... I'm not really the whole romantic type. She might expect dinner every night and presents and stuff."

"Not every girl's a romantic. I'd be happy with talking in the cafeteria. Presents are overrated anyway."

Shippo nodded. "Finding a girl like that is hard."

"Yeah. Putting up with you rambling about something she doesn't know about, playing games, spending time with you, but having some time to herself." Thea shook her head. "I don't know where you're going to find one of those."

They were quiet while Shippo thought this out. He stopped and glanced at Thea. "Am I being herded toward a particular thought?"

She paused and looked back at him. "Maybe."

He frowned. She's not dating anyone, but she wanted to know how to get someone's attention. She paid attention through all of that rambling that I didn't know what I was talking about...

"Um..." Shippo's brain tried to regroup from what it had just figured out.

Thea smiled at him. "Yes?"

"...did you have to back to your dorm room right now?" She shook her head. "Then, you might, maybe want to come to the mage university's cafeteria with me?"

"Based on the conversation we just had and the way you're asking, is this a date?" she said bluntly. He nodded slightly. "Then I accept. On the assurance that what happened on Halloween isn't a usual occurrence."

He laughed. "No. Just normal food and chatter." She smiled and they changed their course.

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Kagome watched them go out the door and down the sidewalk. "Celery," she muttered. "Sess just had to be out of celery."

"You wouldn't have caught me anyway," Inuyasha boasted.

"I've got an idea," Kagome said. Inuyasha looked at her warily from the kitchen entry way. "Why don't we kiss?"

Inuyasha's eyes went wide and his jaw almost hit the floor. "What?"

She shrugged. "We're dating. We've done it before. It's been almost two months since we started going out and eight months since we kissed the first time. Is something wrong?"

"No!" She gave him a look as if to say 'then what is it'. He frowned. "We just haven't been... The time..."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and went to sit on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her. "Then let's fix it. Unless you don't want to?"

Inuyasha walked slowly to the couch. "That's not it."

"So... You want to kiss me, but you don't."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Why not?"

"Why haven't you kissed me?" he asked. "I kissed you first. It's your turn."

She shook her head. "I want to think about this first. You kissed me and then we didn't talk about it for six months. Why?"

He looked at anything but her. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Were you scared?" she asked softly.

"No!"

"Did you think that just because you kissed me that I wouldn't like you anymore? That if we talked about it, we'd stop being friends?" She touched his arm and he turned to look at her. "We're friends, Inuyasha. Just because you kissed me doesn't mean that we're not. If you want to stop dating, it's okay."

He waited a few seconds. "It was like taking advantage," he whispered. "You didn't say anything, so I thought you were just trying to forget it. We could still be friends as long as we didn't bring it up."

Kagome smiled. "Well, we are friends. We're dating even if no one knows about it. Was it a bad kiss?"

"I don't know. I haven't kissed much."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "There was a girl in high school that I dated for a month. Not much happened, but we did kiss twice."

"What do you think is going to happen if we kiss?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Kagome, you're analyzing this too much." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. "See?" he said, when they'd backed away from each other. "That's it."

Kagome shrugged. "There must be more to it than that. Otherwise it wouldn't be hyped so much in our society."

He groaned. "You've been listening to Rin talking about her psychology classes again." Kagome got closer to him and tried kissing him a little longer. Instead of staying stationary, their lips began to move against each other.

A few minutes later, Kagome sat down on her side of the couch again. "I think," she said quietly, "that is what people were talking about."

He nodded. "Yeah... Try that again?" Kagome grinned and waited for him to take his turn this time.


	79. Chapter 79

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 79<br>Christmas

"So how does this work?" Thea asked.

"It's very simple," Kagome said. "We all go to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's house to decorate the tree. Then we decide on presents."

"Presents?"

Kagome nodded. "We put in as much as we can afford, but not more than forty dollars from one person. The first year we were here, we only had..." She frowned. "Me, Sess, Inuyasha, and Sango. Oh, and my roommate, Melly."

"The second year we added Rin and Shippo. The third year, Miroku came over. Now we've got eight people. If we bought presents for everyone, it wouldn't work."

"Is it like Secret Santa?"

Kagome shook her head. "Not really. Each person gets one present from all of us. If you see something on your own that you want to buy for someone, go ahead. We bought little things for each other last year and one big present. Movie sets, games, stuff like that."

"We send the person out of the room and figure out what to buy them. Someone volunteers to go get the present and the volunteer gets the money. It's not anything to worry about." Kagome stood up. "Speaking of which, we'd better get going or we'll be late."

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They arrived and Thea got her first taste of what Christmas was like in the Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha household.

Sesshoumaru ran back and forth between the kitchen and the living room. Kagome and Sango lent a hand with the cookies. Inuyasha and Miroku manhandled the tree while Shippo laughed and untangled the lights. Rin carefully unwrapped the ornaments from the boxes while Thea helped.

Once the tree was up and lit, they began talking about presents. People were sent out of the room and, in some occasions, down the block. The secrecy finally ended and they settled down with a Christmas cartoon special and Sesshoumaru's cookies.

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Kagome sat down on the couch with a heavy thump. "At least finals are over," she said gratefully.

"Not mine," Sango told her.

"Our Wards final was the only one she had," Inuyasha said.

"And two papers. Can't forget those," Kagome said with a sigh. "I am definitely in the mood for presents."

"Once everyone gets here," Sesshoumaru called from the kitchen. "Dinner first."

Sango was working at the restaurant so she wasn't present when they ate. Rin, Thea, and Kagome were going home tomorrow, so tonight was the night.

Dinner was cleaned up and the leftovers were put in the refrigerator by the time Sango arrived. Sesshoumaru handed the presents to Inuyasha and he gave them to the recipients. He dusted off the knees of his jeans as he got out from under the tree and went to sit in his chair.

Rin sat next to Sess in what used to be Shippo's chair. Shippo had taken over the loveseat with Thea, while Miroku and Sango sat on the couch. Inuyasha and Kagome spread a blanket on the floor and waited.

"Who's first?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"You are," Inuyasha said smugly. He unwrapped his present and raised an eyebrow. "And you said they couldn't be found."

"Where?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Some really out of the way internet site had those. Do you know how much packing material I had to throw away to get those old LPs?" (A/N: LPs are vinyl records. You know, the really wide flat black discs?)

Rin held up her main present and jiggled it a little. "Is it breakable?"

Kagome shook her head. "No."

She began to unwrap the box and lifted the lid. She saw the cover and her eyes widened. "Oh! Thank you!" She pulled out the first coloring book and began flipping through it.

"We got all kinds. One of them has ladies and knights, fantastic beasts..." Sango let her voice trail off as Miroku began opening his package.

The paper came off and he saw the two movies packed together. "Some favorites I don't have. Thank you, everyone."

Sango slid the lid off of the pink rose and butterfly material covered box she had and peeked inside. Kagome cleared her throat. "We couldn't think of a really big present you wanted, so we got you a few small ones."

"I love them," Sango assured her. She pulled the lid off the candle and sighed. "Strawberry Cheesecake candle." Also in the box was a little tin box of notecards and some fudge.

Inuyasha tore into his package and grinned at the new music. "We've both got music," he said, grinning at Sesshoumaru.

"Hmph. You call that music?"

Kagome unwrapped her present while they argued. It was a big box and she was hoping that someone hadn't gone overboard. Inuyasha stopped the argument to look at Kagome. She opened the top of the box and looked at it in shock. She couldn't see that much, but what she did see...

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Are you going to let everyone see or just sit there?" Kagome reached in and pulled out the throw. It was a winter scene with two red cardinals chatting to each other on tree branches.

He shrugged. "You've been looking at it and you're always cold anyway."

"Thank you," she said softly and brushed the material against her cheek.

The moment was broken by Shippo opening his Christmas present. "Wow!"

Thea smirked. "Newest game that I'm going to beat you at."

"Right," Shippo said. "Is that a challenge?"

"It is."

"Aren't you going to open yours, Thea?" Kagome asked.

She nodded and unwrapped the present. She looked at the picture on the front and undid the tape. "I saw that collection you have," Kagome said. "I thought you might like this one."

She pulled it out of the styrofoam and examined it. It was a perfect little English house with roses and a green lawn. A small clock face was set into the side. "It's great. Thank you!"

Everyone had a second present beside them in addition to the tins of cookies and candy that Sesshoumaru had made for them to take home. Thea had an entire bag of miniature Reese's. Kagome had a soft package that she unwrapped. It was filled with three skeins of yarn. Inuyasha had a pound of jelly beans. Sesshoumaru and Miroku got books. Sango had a necklace to unwrap from Miroku. Shippo had a bag of Snickers and Rin unwrapped a new package of markers.

It got late and everyone went home. Inuyasha and Shippo walked the girls back to their dorms. Shippo continued upstairs after Thea while Inuyasha walked Rin and Kagome to their room. "I'm leaving really early," Thea said.

She pushed open the door to her floor. "I know," Shippo said. "So I'll see you in January." Thea nodded.

They reached her door and Shippo hesitated. "Um, Thea?"

She looked at him and she guessed what he was going to say. "Yeah." She closed her eyes as he came nearer.

The kiss was over too quickly and he was blushing. "Uh..."

"That was nice," Thea said, a little dazed. "Vacation's only three weeks long, right?"

Shippo nodded. "Three weeks and three days."

"Good. It might take me a little while to get over this." She smiled hesitantly. "Night, Shippo."

"Night, Thea," he said and began to walk down the hall. She closed the door behind her and shook her head. Wow.

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Rin took off for the shower, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone. "You're leaving tomorrow morning?"

"With Thea and Rin. We're taking a taxi to the airport." They dithered for a bit. "Inuyasha, if you don't kiss me now, Rin will be back soon and you won't have the chance." He grinned and they moved toward each other.


	80. Chapter 80

**This is Moonsilver's work, not mine.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 80<br>A Kiss

"You know, the first time I ever rode in a taxi was the time I had to go back to college," Rin said conversationally.

"Mm. Me, too. I didn't have anything that I couldn't bring back in a duffel bag and one suitcase this time, so my parents didn't drive up here." Kagome smiled. "I told Inuyasha approximately what time we'd be back."

Rin smirked. "He'll tell Sesshoumaru and I'll get to see my boyfriend as soon as possible."

"That's the plan."

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Rin got out off the taxi first and Kagome followed her after scooting across the seat. She glanced around and frowned. "Your plan. I'm not sure it worked."

Two guys began walking down the steps and Kagome laughed. "Yes, it did."

Sesshoumaru walked to Rin, gave her a big hug, and swung her around in a circle before finally letting her feet touch the ground again. "I missed you," he said softly. She smiled back at him.

Kagome watched Inuyasha walk toward her and grinned. "Geez, it's been a long couple of weeks," she said loudly.

He reached her and lowered his lips to hers. "Yeah," he said afterward. "I missed you, too." He whispered, "Okay?" in her ear.

Kagome smiled happily and nodded. She was back at college for the last half of the year, she had her boyfriend in front of her, and-

Her face fell and her eyes widened. She glanced at Rin and Sesshoumaru to find the other girl staring at her. She gave them an uncertain smile.

Rin pointed a finger at them. "You... You two...?" Kagome nodded. "How long?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Three months? Since October, anyway."

"You've been dating since then and you didn't tell me?" Rin screeched. "Kagome, I'm your roommate!"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Roommate. I'm his brother and I didn't know." He frowned. "Why didn't I smell anything?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "When would you have done that? She's over to the house so much already. Her scent's over everything."

Kagome glanced around and saw a few students hurrying away. She groaned. "This is going to be all over campus by tomorrow."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong with that?"

She mock-glared at him. "I'm going to be hauling down more trash and they'll get even more persistent. Just you watch!"

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"I can't believe you didn't tell us," Sango said.

"You're still sulking over that? You found out on Wednesday." Kagome shook her head and marked her place in her Experiences notes.

"I am not sulking. I am pouting. There is a difference," she insisted.

"I agree," Miroku said wholeheartedly. "When she sulks, she doesn't talk to you."

Kagome laughed. "You would know."

"But you and Inuyasha are going out," Sango said. "That's news."

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a look. "News?" he said.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they're expecting something?"

He frowned. "Do you want to be taken out? Is this a hint?"

"No," Kagome said forcefully. "Unless...you're not satisfied?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I'm fine. What's the importance of going out?"

Kagome focused for a moment. "We've been doing everything we did as friends, but as a couple." She held up a finger. "Ah-ah! Don't say it."

"What?"

"You know."

"No, I don't."

Kagome glared at him. "Go ahead."

"I was only going to ask if I could have the last cookie on the plate."

"Are you sure?" Kagome doubtfully. "You weren't going to say 'a couple of what's?"

Inuyasha shook his head and smirked, reaching for the last cookie. "Why say it when I can trick you into saying it for me?"

She glared at him and looked at the cookie. "I didn't say anything about the cookie." Inuyasha solemnly broke it in half and she accepted hers.

"Now that we've heard Inuyasha and Kagome's comedy duo, what does everyone think about their teachers this year?" Sess asked.

"We've only had two days." Kagome objected.

"We had a class," Inuyasha reminded her.

"Experiences class was great," she said. "Anyone else?"

"Science fiction class was good," Rin spoke up. "Of course, sharing that class with Sango and Shippo is...interesting." Sango faked throwing a pillow at her. Rin held up her hands to ward off the pillow and fell over, laughing.

"Rin is absolutely lost on Artifact Identification," Shippo reported.

"Sorry. A sword looks just like another sword," she said, not apologetically at all.

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm going to get some more cookies." He got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Has it gotten worse?" Thea asked Kagome.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Not really noticeable. But it's coming. I'm still getting just as many notes and flowers as usual."

"What if they realize that you're unavailable?" Sango asked, looking up from her textbook.

"The chances of that happening are about as equal as the two groups of mages coming to a truce so I'm no longer needed," Kagome said dryly.

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Kagome and Rin said good-bye to Thea and walked down the hall to their room. Rin turned the doorknob and frowned when it didn't move. She pushed on the door and it opened a few inches. "Kagome?" she said. "Want to give me a hand?"  
>With both of them pushing on the door, they managed to open it far enough for Kagome to squeeze inside. "Oh, for-!" Rin heard on the other side of the door.<p>

"What is it?"

"Give me a minute, Rin."

A few seconds later, Kagome pulled the door open. "I shrank it," she said proudly. "Silly thing."

Rin walked inside. "What was it?"

"A bureau." Kagome held out a hand. "Isn't it cute? Three drawer, marble top, absolutely gorgeous. It's also a present which means I've got to throw it away."

She tossed it in a trashbag and hauled it downstairs. When she got back, she said, "What did I say? Now the gifts are actually getting bigger."


	81. Chapter 81

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 81<br>Kagome's Birthday

Inuyasha set the cake on the table. "Not a mix this time," he said. "So I don't know how it's going to taste."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "It'll taste fine. You made it after all."

"So glad you have that much confidence in me," he said dryly.

"More to the point, he actually remembered to put everything away and do the dishes," Sesshoumaru said, pulling a chair out for himself.

Inuyasha began cutting slices out of the cake and everyone handed plates down. Kagome took the first bite and closed her eyes in bliss. "This is one of the best cakes I've ever had."

"One of?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well... This is a two layer white cake with cream cheese frosting. My very favorite cake and icing. But when I was five, I had this flat sheet cake that had Strawberry Shortcake on it. You know? The cartoon? At six, I had the Transformers." Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. "Best tasting cake. How about that?"

"Suits me," he said with a shrug. He ate a forkful and stared. "Huh. That is good."

"You don't have to sound so surprised," Sesshoumaru muttered. "So, Rin, how has the room been?"

"Swamped," she reported. "Birthday cards, illusions popping in and wishing Kagome a 'Happy Birthday'... You can't get anything done."

"Which is why we came over early." Kagome shrugged.

"Early enough to taste the frosting."

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "Like you were going to eat it all."

"You've got a few presents to open after this," Sango said. "Should we have gotten you a container of icing instead?" Kagome stuck her tongue out at Sango.

After the cake had been demolished, the group walked into the living room to watch Kagome open her presents. There were a few small packages and one large box. She chose one of the smaller ones and oohed over the journal she unwrapped. Blue velvet cover, lined pages with a little squiggle at the top. Just what she had wanted. The next package was another container of rose hand lotion.

The large box was tugged over and Kagome unwrapped it carefully. She pulled the cardboard up and her eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Rin said cheerfully.

Kagome lifted out six volumes of Ranma 1/2. "Guys, this is too much."

"Why?" Miroku asked.

"Thank you," Kagome said. Really, she thought. What else can I say? Take them back?

Kagome thanked them again another few times before they settled down to watch a movie. Halfway through, Inuyasha tapped her on the shoulder and glanced upstairs. She nodded and got up to follow him.

Once they were in his room, he handed her another box. "I saw these," he said sheepishly. "If you don't like them-"

Kagome snickered at him. "Why didn't you give it to me downstairs?" she chided. She unwrapped the package and withdrew two ceramic hatching dragons. They both had the same egg, but one was green and one was brown. "They're adorable," she cooed. "And I've got just the place for them."

She set them back in the box and put it on his bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a sound kiss. "Thank you."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome entered the dorm room first. "All clear."

Rin walked in behind her. "This is ridiculous," she announced. "I have to be afraid of my own room on certain holidays."

"Well, I don't think anything in here would hurt you," Kagome said reasonably. "Most of the spells would be directed at me. There's just a chance that one might be broader in its execution."

"Young lady!"

Kagome turned to see a woman standing in back of her. She was dressed in a blue sparkling dress that looked like it belonged back in 1800s England and she carried a wand. "Yes?" she answered.

"You are Kagome Higurashi, the Source of Magic?" she said imperiously. Kagome nodded. "Then I demand to know what is wrong with my god-son."

Kagome blinked. "I don't know-"

"You know very well what I mean. He has sent you note after note asking you for a date. Now I find out you're dating someone else. What is the meaning of this?"

She gestured at the bed. "That is how many notes I get on an average day. I cleaned the bed off three hours ago and that is what has arrived since. I get more on my birthday which is today. Pardon, but if I read every note I received, I'd miss all of my classes."

"That is no excuse."

"All of the notes, letters, cards, flowers, candy, and gifts go straight into a trashbag," Kagome said firmly. "They have done ever since I arrived. No one has gotten the message yet that I wasn't interested in dating. I am Kagome. I will not date anyone who does not see that." She pointed her nose in the air. "I am dating Inuyasha. As such, it is against the rules laid down by Kikyo, the first Source, for you to fuss at me over my choice. Inuyasha is not to be harmed and our relationship can't be interfered with."

The godmother sniffed disdainfully and left with a sparkle of glitter. Kagome sighed. "Godmothers."

"That... was a fairy godmother?" Rin asked.

Kagome grinned. "The wings on her back were a dead giveaway."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome deleted all the happy birthday messages from people she didn't know and concentrated on the ones from friends and family. She clicked on the one from her mom and dad.

Dear Kagome,

I hope you're having a great birthday, dear. Let us know if our present got to you. Everything's fine here at home. Your little brother is progressing in magic. Yesterday, he managed to conjure the remote away from your father.

How are your friends? Particularly Inuyasha. I know you'd like to stay for February break like last year, but do you think you could bring him home for April break? If you're still dating by that time and as a friend if you aren't.

The letter went on to ramble about the daily lives of her family, but Kagome's mind was stuck on April break. Inuyasha? Meet her family? She hadn't met his yet...


	82. Chapter 82

**What's this? A Valentine chapter on Valentine's Day? XD**

**I hope everyone had a good day. Whether you are with someone or not, know that you ****_are_**** loved. Even if it's just by me, a silly little fanfiction writer. And I ****_do_**** love you, for something as simple as reading the same story I enjoyed years ago, for something a simple as reading one of my own stories.**

**So here, enjoy another chapter of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic".**

.

.

.

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 82<br>Valentine's Day

Rin had Artifact Identification at nine on Thursday morning, so she was gone by the time Kagome woke up. She'd stayed up late reading the newest J. D. Robb book.

The first thing Kagome said was, "Oh, no." She sank back down into her pillow. "It's Valentine's Day."

She got up and went about the business of getting dressed. "I've got a boyfriend," she mumbled, pulling on her socks. "I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with him. I haven't said it yet, because he freaked out enough over just dating. It's Valentine's Day. I should be happy."

"Um..."

Kagome turned around, wide-eyed. "Oh," she squeaked. "Hi."

Inuyasha looked back at the door. "It was open."

"Rin must've left it open when she went to class."

They stood for a moment before Inuyasha remembered the bag he was holding. He glanced down at it and then at her. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said and handed it to her.

She put it down on the bed beside her and peeked inside. She blinked and withdrew a small miniature rosebush. "I didn't think you'd want another bunch of roses."

"It so cute!" she said. "I'll put it on the shelf near the window." She reached into the bag again and pulled out another paper bag. The large bag was empty now.

Hefting it in one hand, she smirked at Inuyasha. "Is this what it was last year?"

He shrugged. "It worked last time."

She upended the bag and candy bars spilled out. "All my favorites. You have done good."

"Thanks." Inuyasha sat on the other end of the bed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She looked at him innocently. "Tell you what?"

He jerked his head toward the door. "What I overheard."

"You overheard something?"

He scowled at her. "You said you loved me."

"Oh. That."

"Yes, that," he said. He got up and knelt down in front of her. "It goes both ways you know."

"What?" she whispered.

"I love you, too." They sat there, staring at each other for a moment. Kagome smiled and Inuyasha smiled back.

"Okay," she said. "So you love me and I love you. You brought me a rosebush and candy for Valentine's Day. I bought you the package over there."

Inuyasha followed her finger and raised an eyebrow. She nodded. "Two volumes of Rurouni Kenshin?"

Kagome laughed. "Yes. Do you think it's about the same Kenshin on campus?"

"I hope not. Otherwise, I pity the guy for going through all that nonsense." Inuyasha looked at her. "I was going to invite you to my house. I'll even cook."

She snorted. "We'll cook and then we'll watch a couple movies." Inuyasha agreed.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Inuyasha looked at the clock. "We'd better stop."

Kagome whimpered. "Why?"

"Because my brother's going to be home soon," Inuyasha told her. "Do you want him to come home and...?"

Kagome sighed and withdrew her hands from his shirt. She smirked. "Do you think you'll have time for those lovebites to fade?"

He groaned. "Kagome, you didn't..."

"Did."

He snickered and tackled her so she lay flat on the bed. "I swear, you're a youkai in disguise. You've got some of the blood in you, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't bite as much."

"And you don't bite enough."

He sighed and lowered his forehead to touch hers. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered.

"You won't," she replied, a twinkle in her eye.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Rin walked up the front walk at five fifteen and knocked on the front door. "It's open!" someone called.

She came inside and took off her boots. "Hi!"

Kagome waved back. "I've been here all day."

"I know."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "How? I didn't leave a note."

Rin shook her head. "You're either in the dorm room, walking downtown, the library, one of the two campuses, at the Special, or here. Most of the time, you're here if you're not in our room or at class."

"Rin?"

"Sess?"

"If the twosome are bothering you, I could use some help in the kitchen." Rin made her escape.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sesshoumaru drove Inuyasha, Kagome, and Rin home that night. Because of the day, they all trooped upstairs to see what had happened while Kagome was away.

"Now that isn't right," Rin announced.  
>Kagome nodded slowly. "Definitely."<p>

Cards, notes, and letters had piled on her bed until they created a tall tower. Rin's bed had been used for the overflow. The floor was covered with bouquets and vases of flowers. Chocolate boxes were stacked wherever there was room, including the desks, the computer chairs, and the bookshelves.

Kagome sighed and used a fetching spell on the trashbags and her gloves. She began piling the flowers in first. That took one of the bags. She pulled out another for the notes and cleared Rin's bed. The bag was half full when Kagome tackled her own.

She dumped box after box of chocolates inside. The last box was fancily wrapped and she gasped when she saw it. "Why would someone send me this?"

"What is it?" Rin asked.

"These are Neuhaus chocolates."

"What's the big deal about them?" Inuyasha said bluntly.

Kagome shrugged. "This is about a two pound box. They actually give you instructions on how to chew the darn things to get the maximum effect. It's about ninety dollars worth of chocolate."

Inuyasha scowled. "I suppose you want one."

Kagome gave him a look. "No," she said firmly. "I don't want. They're a very expensive type of chocolate. I'd not an expensive kind of girl. I wondered why someone would give these to me when they know I'm going to trash them." She dropped them into the waiting trashbag and continued clearing her shelves.

When she had finally finished, filling three bags of trash in the process, Kagome looked around. "Am I done?" she asked.

A box appeared on her bed. "Apparently not," she muttered.

Rin looked at it interested. "I don't suppose you could open that without something bad happening?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't see why not." She reached for the rectangular blue velvet box and pried the lid open. Her eyes goggled at the sight.

"What is it?" Rin asked eagerly.

Kagome sat down heavily on her bed. "Oh, this is the end. That is it. If I find out who sent this, I'll shove it down their throat."

Rin frowned. "Kagome?" She turned the box around and Rin's jaw fell open. "Is that...a diamond necklace?"

"Mm-hm. Someone has more money than brains," Kagome mused. "Anyone know a returning spell?"

Sesshoumaru raised a hand. "Would you like a message to accompany it?"

"Oh, I've got just the one." Kagome got up and wrote a quick note. She folded it and put it inside the box. Sesshoumaru sent it back.

"What did it say?" Rin asked.

"If someone hadn't been here to return this necklace to you, it would've gone straight in the trashcan," Kagome said promptly. "Is that too strong of a message?" Rin shook her head.

She went to pick up her coat from the floor. Everything was stuffed into the trashbags. Now she had time enough to hang her coat up in the closet. She pulled open the door and stared. "I am hallucinating," she said calmly. "I now have to search everything to see if someone's transplanted something."

Kagome pulled out a mink coat. "Sesshoumaru?" He took care of the return spell with a similar note in the pocket.

She began searching her bureau drawers. The only thing she found was some interesting lingerie that had no business being there.

Inuyasha pointed beside him. "There's another package for you, darling."

"Thank you, dear." Kagome looked at the huge tupperware container. "I wonder what's in this?" She pulled open the lid and shook her head. "Closer. Much closer to my candy preference. But I still prefer your ideas, Inuyasha."

He wrinkled his nose. "You could feed the whole floor with that."

Rin sighed. "Tomorrow, I'm going to go buy some of those for myself. Unless the guy bought out their entire Hershey Kisses stock."

"This happens every Valentine's Day?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome nodded. "Ever since I started college."

"This is your last year. Hopefully, it won't continue."

She blinked. He was right. This was her last year. What would happen to her and Inuyasha after this?


	83. Chapter 83

**Only 8 more chapters, dear readers, of Moonsilver's "Source of Magic"**

.

.

.

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 83<br>February Break

Rin knocked on the door and waited until she heard a faint voice call, "Come in!" Her hand twisted the doorknob and she walked in.

Inuyasha stepped over the divider board separating the kitchen from the living room. "Hi. Sess's in the kitchen, Rin." She smiled and walked past him.

Kagome met Inuyasha halfway and gave him a kiss. "Good morning," she said happily. "Any plans for today?"

"Lunch," he said.

She laughed. "Besides that?"

He nodded. "Kagome, I, um... I've got something to tell you." She waited. "My parents are here."

She froze. "What?"

"Mom and Dad are in the kitchen. They came over for a few days."

Kagome closed her eyes. "You didn't tell me I was going to be meeting your parents." She glanced down. "I'm in some of my most comfortable clothes, but these aren't meet-the-parents clothes. And I can't get into my dorm room because it's locked."

"Kagome-"

"I'm not dressed for this. What if they expect the Source and not Kagome? What if they don't like me? I know," she snapped her fingers. "I'll go back to Sango's and you can tell them I went home for vacation. Or I caught a cold."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, reaching out for one of her hands. "You know how we always send Sess out to take a walk while we discuss what we're going to get him for Christmas?"

She gave him a blank look. "What does that have to do with the price of eggs?"

"Why do we do that? Humor me."

She shrugged. "Because he has really good hearing."

Inuyasha nodded. "Sess can hear a lot unless he deliberately tunes it out. Where did he get that from?"

Kagome's face paled. "Sess is a youkai. So's your dad." She swallowed hard. "I just made a fool out of myself, didn't I?"

"I won't hold it against you," said a man in the doorway. He came forward. "Hello, Kagome. I'm Inutaisho."

"Nice to meet you, sir," she said automatically.

He chuckled. "Not sir. Just Inutaisho or Taisho. Come in and meet my wife, Izayoi." Kagome followed him into the kitchen with Inuyasha struggling not to laugh.

"I've heard a lot about you," the woman said as they were introduced. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. "Oh, nothing too bad. Though, I think I would have held a public bonfire with all of those letters you get." She winked and Kagome relaxed a little.

"There's an idea, Kagome," Rin said. "Of course, we'd have a problem with the town and the firestation..."

"Did you know about this or are you just as surprised as I am?" Kagome asked.

Rin frowned. "You didn't know?" Kagome shook her head. "Sess told me days ago."

"Oh, he did..." Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "If your brother knew, then you did."

"I would have told you," Rin said, scooping salad dressing out of a jar. "But I thought you knew. Why wouldn't you know?"

"Yeah, Inuyasha. Why wouldn't I know?" Kagome asked.

"I didn't want you to be upset?" he said slowly. She continued to look at him. "You would have worried yourself sick about it."

Kagome sighed. "You're right. For once." She sat down. "But quit keeping secrets from me."

"Oh." Inuyasha looked at the ceiling. "So I should tell you about... Nah."

"You're not going to get away with that one. Give."

"I shouldn't," Inuyasha said, leaning forward and backward on his feet. "It's definitely classified information."

"Inuyasha..." she growled.

"All right." He leaned down to whisper in her ear, but she pulled away.

"What's the point of whispering? The only one I'm sure that wouldn't be able to hear you would be Rin."

He shrugged. "All right. Sess made your favorite peanut butter cookies for dessert."

She rolled her eyes. "Men. That's not a secret. Telling your parents about the pants incident is a secret."

"I'm intrigued," Izayoi said. "What about the pants?"

"Well," Rin began, "Kagome got into Inuyasha's pants when-"

"RIN!" Kagome screeched. "It sounds worse than it is."

Inutaisho nodded his head. "It would have to be."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the very end of vacation, Rin's birthday occurred. Shippo and Thea couldn't be there, but they did send her e-birthday cards. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's parents were at the birthday party at Sess's house along with Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sess.

Sesshoumaru set the cake down on the table and cut it into pieces. Rin got the first slice of the chocolate on chocolate cake. "You even put chocolate shavings on top," she said happily.

"For my darling," he said teasing. She blushed and ate another forkful of her cake.

They sat down in the living room while Sess piled the presents around her. "This is too much," she protested.

"No, it isn't," Sesshoumaru disagreed. "Open them."

Sango and Miroku had gotten her a few of the charms she'd been looking at in Muted Twilight. Kagome had badgered Inuyasha into going halves on a gift certificate to A Book in Bloom.

"That one's from us," Izayoi said delicately as Rin pulled the next package onto her lap.

"You didn't need to get me anything," she said.

She shook her head. "That reminds me... Taisho, where did we put Kagome's present?"

"I'll get it," Sesshoumaru said and went upstairs to the guest bedroom. Rin waited until he came back down to unwrap her present.

Kagome protested as Sess gave her the box, but Izayoi insisted. "We missed your birthday by a few weeks. Just call it a late gift."

They both received the same present. "I thought they'd help you remember," Izayoi said. The book was College Memories and it had a 101 questions to answer about your college years. The girls both thanked them profusely.

Sesshoumaru's present was last and Rin's eyes widened when she saw it. "How did you-?"

"Kagome told me," he said. Rin smiled at Kagome in thanks. Sesshoumaru fastened the necklace behind her neck.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Izayoi yawned. "We've got to back home early tomorrow so it's about time for us to go upstairs. I've enjoyed getting to know you, Rin and Kagome."

They said the same and then it was time for the cake to be bundled up and taken back to Sango's house.


	84. Chapter 84

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 84<br>Tulips

"I've read Make Way for Ducklings. So... Curious George is next." Kagome reached into her backpack beside her desk for the book.

"I've got two lips to kiss you with! Pucker up!"

Kagome's eyes widened. "Huh?" she said, looking around. Her eyes rested on a vase of tulips sitting on her floor. "Oh, no," she groaned. "Go away."

"Pucker up!"

Kagome yanked a book off the third shelf and paged through it. The spells she tried didn't work. She went through two more books and finally gave up.

"I couldn't find a cheese danish, but they had a raspberry one." Rin frowned at the tulips. "When did those get here?"

"About an hour ago. I've tried at least twenty different ways to get them to go away." She sighed. "They say-"

"Pucker up!"

"-but I'm refusing to try that." She stared at them. "I guess I'll call Inuyasha. Maybe he knows something."

xxxxxxxx

"Hello, Inuyasha speaking."

"Hi."

He smiled. "Morning, Kagome."

"I've got a problem."

"A damsel in distress. You're not helping with my psychiatrist bills."

"Very funny. I've got a bunch of tulips here who keep telling me to pucker up."

"What have you tried?" Inuyasha listened to the list. "Hm... There are a few things I could try. Can you bring them over here?"

"Why?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Because if it doesn't work, I'm going to incinerate them."

"Ah. I'll see if I can put them in a bag or something. I'll see you in a few minutes."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome showed up at eleven. She let Inuyasha have the tulips while she heated her raspberry danish in the microwave.

Two hours later, Inuyasha shook his head. "I can't figure out what's wrong with them."

"What's wrong with what?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha waved at the tulips. "A present from one of Kagome's admirers. You are very lucky I'm not the jealous type."

Kagome shrugged. "I'd stop it if I could. The only way to do that is to get married and I want to finish college first."

Inuyasha coughed. "Um. Yeah. So, Miroku, what do you think about the flowers?"

"Well, they're a lovely shade."

Inuyasha snorted. "The spell on the flowers."

"Pucker up!"

"I don't kiss flora, only Sango," Miroku said saucily. "I think Kagome's stuck with the flowers until she 'puckers up' or until they're destroyed."

"Okay." Inuyasha lifted the vase, pulled the flowers out, and went out the back door. When he came back in, he looked at Kagome. "All gone. They are ashes."

"Thank you," she said.

"Hey, I spent two hours working on those," he protested. She smiled and gave him a long kiss. "Now that's better."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Midterms again," Rin said with a sigh.

"Yes, it is that time." Miroku nodded. "Sango?"

"Mm?" she said, not looking up from her homework for Cell Biology.

"When are you going to set a date for the wedding?"

Her head came up and she stared. Her jaw dropped. "What?"

Miroku frowned slightly. "I realize you might be getting cold feet..."

"Hey, my feet aren't any colder than yours! This is the first time you've mentioned a wedding date!" she said hotly.

"Actually, I remember saying that I'd like to be married after we graduate, but before I start teaching again." He smiled sweetly at her.

Her mouth opened and shut several times and she finally just settled on staring at him. "Dear? Have you forgotten how to speak?" Miroku inquired politely.

"Why do I have to decide?" she asked plaintively.

He shrugged. "You don't. But I thought you'd want to make the decision."

"Okay," she said, nodding slowly. "I'm going to think out loud. Feel free to stop me. It would be great if everyone could show up at my wedding, but there are a lot of people who live far away from here."

"Me," Shippo said.

Thea nodded. "Me, too." Kagome and Rin held up their hands.

"Shippo, Thea, Kagome, and Rin wouldn't be able to come. So when would everyone be here?" Sango asked.

"Before graduation or just after," Kagome said. "Are you sure you want to get married then? Marriages are said to be stressful and we already know finals are."

Sango heaved a sigh. "Most of my family doesn't live nearby, but a few would come for the wedding. If it was around the same time as graduation..."

Miroku nodded. "Before exams or after?"

"Have you got an opinion?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha piped up. "After. If you have the wedding before..." He grinned. "You might sleep through an exam from being too tired."

Miroku coughed. "Um, yes. Sango, that's definitely something to keep in mind."

"Dirty minded lechers," she muttered. "Kagome?"

The girl calmly reached out and tapped Inuyasha on the nose. "Bad," she whispered. "Keep your lecherous thoughts to one girl."

"Graduation day is May 14th," Sango said slowly.

"It's also the day that the dorms close," Kagome said with a sigh. "I've got to start looking for a job soon."

Graduation and dorms closing, Sango thought. Plus finals. "What day is graduation on?" she asked.

"Saturday," Rin chirped.

Miroku nodded firmly. "We graduate on Saturday and get married on Sunday. Works out for everyone since they only have to stay another day." He looked at Sango for confirmation.

"Where's everyone going to stay?" Sango asked.

Rin shrugged. "My parents are getting a hotel room in town."

"Mine, too," Kagome said. Shippo and Thea both nodded.

"Well, between all of us we've got three guest rooms. Potentially four people, but Inuyasha always seems to give Kagome his bed while he takes the floor."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "You're always welcome to the guest room, Rin."

"And Shippo and Thea can sleep at my house," Sango offered. "Or we all can come over here and sleep on the floor like we do on movie nights."

She smiled. "This could work."

"Finals, graduation, moving out of the dorm, and a wedding." Kagome shook her head. "This is a one way trip to a nervous breakdown." She grinned. "But I've only got to handle three out of four."

"Hah," Sango said. "You think I'm going to do the wedding thing alone? You're going to be there every step of the way." Kagome groaned.


	85. Chapter 85

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 85<br>Kitsune

Kagome tossed the letters in the trashbag and sighed. "This is ridiculous."

"No," Rin disagreed. "Your first year it was ridiculous. Second year it became silly. The third year, absurd. Now that it's your fourth year and you have a boyfriend, it's just pathetic."

"Once again, Rin, you have an excellent grasp of the situation." Kagome picked up an envelope and it flashed with a blue light. She stared at it. "Uh-oh."

"Um... Kagome?"

She looked back at her roommate and her eyes widened in surprise. "How-?"

Rin shrugged. "I don't know. But I want to go down now."

Kagome approached cautiously and reached out to Rin, who was now floating several inches off the bed. She tugged and Rin sat back down on the bed. Kagome sighed in relief and let go. Rin began to float away again. Kagome grabbed her hand and pulled downward. Rin sat down.

"Flying spell?" Rin suggested.

Kagome nodded. "Looks like it. I don't know how to take it off, either." Rin grimaced. "I'll call Sesshoumaru. This doesn't look like anything I've seen in class."

Rin stood gingerly and walked with Kagome to the phone. She dialed Sesshoumaru's number and waited. When no one answered, she shook her head and called the mage university's number.

"Hello?" Sesshoumaru said.

"Hi, Sess."

"Good afternoon, Kagome. Something I can help you with?"

"Yes. Someone sent me a flying spell on a card. It didn't affect me but Rin now has this ability of flight. How do I get it off her?"

"Does she have wings?"

"No."

"All right. I'm going to give you a number..." Sesshoumaru opened a drawer and withdrew a book. He began flipping through the pages. "It's two thirty so he should be able to take a small break to help you out."

He found the number and Kagome called that one next. "Kitchen, Kenshin speaking."

"Hi, Kenshin. It's Kagome. I've got a problem."

"Anything I can help you with."

"Sesshoumaru said I should call you. Someone sent me a flying spell and it latched on to Rin."

"I see. Where is your dorm and what number, please?" Kagome gave it to him. "I will be there in a few minutes. Goodbye."

True to his word, Kenshin arrived shortly. He examined Rin flying and sitting and smiled. "It's very simple to take off. Go outside."

"Huh?" Rin said.

Kenshin nodded. "Walk downstairs with Miss Kagome and take your shoes and socks off. Stand outside with your feet touching the sidewalk. You must let gravity re-affect you."

Kagome shrugged. "Okay."

"What's okay? It's my feet!"

"Do you want to fly away?" Kagome said practically.

Kenshin walked with them and Rin grumbled while trying to take off her shoes and socks one-handed. She stood and let go of Kagome's hand. "Grab me if I start to fly away," she warned before she was released.

Her feet stayed firmly on the ground. "I would suggest a small protection spell for Miss Rin. Not a full-powered spell, but one that will cause spells to slide away from her. Mr. Sesshoumaru could manage it easily."

"I'll see him about it when he gets home today," Rin said fervently.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh, no you don't!"

"Watch me!"

"Don't do that!"

"If you can't handle it..."

"Who says I can't! Take that!"

Thea pressed the controls and beat his character back into a corner. "Try and get out of that!"

Shippo groaned as his character died. "How did you do that?"

"That is a secret," she said mysteriously. "But I'll tell you if you answer a question."

"Sure."

"It's kind of personal. Not really personal," she hurried to say. "Just..."

"Spit it out," he advised.

"The door is locked," she said, glancing over to make sure. "We're up high enough so that no one's going to look in on us."

"Point?"

"Why don't you drop the illusion?" she asked quietly.

He frowned. "I don't know. It's not really that big a deal."

"Doesn't it feel like you're hiding yourself?"

Shippo shook his head. "No. Anyone who's a youkai can see through it. Most of the mages can and a few others."

"Huh." Thea thought of something else. "What do you see when you look in a mirror?"

"Myself."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you see a kitsune or a human?"

"A kitsune. Why, is this bothering you?"

"No. I was just wondering." She looked back at the game and began telling him how she had taken away the last two of his lives with one punch.

He grinned and set up another game. Halfway though, when she was just about to kill another life off, he flipped his tail into her lap. She jumped and he got to kill her character for once.

"Hey! No fair!"

He shrugged. "You killed one of my characters. What's not fair about that?"

She pointed at the long tail in her lap. "That is what is not fair. You distracted me." He grinned at her. "Fine." She held out one finger and trailed it down the tail. When he didn't dissuade her, she stroked with her whole hand. "Soft," she said gently.

"Um..."

Thea looked up. "Yes?"

He swallowed. "The tail is a very tender area." She didn't stop petting him. "I'm not going to start purring."

"And that's a deterrent?" she teased. Shippo leaned his head against her shoulder and closed his eyes. He nuzzled delicately and sighed happily. O-kay, she thought. This is new. "I'm guessing you really like this."

"Mm-hm."

"Then why haven't you lost the illusion before?"

"Wasn't sure you wanted to see."

Thea snorted. "Why not? I know that you're a kitsune. You see me in my true form all the time."

"Ah, but some humans would freak out."

"Well, not this one," she said firmly.

He straightened up and kissed her. "You make me so happy."

She smiled and rubbed noses with him. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Instead of trying to kill each other, why don't we do a partner game?"

"Why? Tired of losing to a girl?" she taunted.

"Nope. I just want to get further than this level. Explore new levels instead of my girlfriend kicking my butt into different locations."


	86. Chapter 86

**Disclaimer: This work of fiction is by Moonsilver. I take no credit for it, and have made no edits to it.**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 86<br>You're How Old

"Are you sure you're warm enough?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Rin snickered at him and nodded. "I've got a hat on my head, a scarf around my neck, coat, shirt, pants, long underwear, socks, and insulated boots." She tilted her head to the side. "Why are you worried now? I walked three blocks to get to the restaurant."

"We're walking five blocks back," he pointed out. "And it's later in the evening, so it's colder."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. We've already walked two and I'm just starting to feel cold."

"You could wait inside the library and I'll go get the car," he offered.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

They walked a few more paces without conversation. Sess cleared his throat. "While we're talking about numbers... What have you found out about youkai?"

"How many different kinds there are, specific talents and powers... Why?"

"What about age?" he said delicately.

"They can live anywhere from a normal human lifespan to a much longer one. Typically, the youkai with a human lifespan are the youkai who don't have a specific species."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very true. How old did my father look?"

Rin smiled. "Young. Somewhere in his thirties or forties."

"His human age is thirty-five." He waited for her to say something.

"I'm sorry. I haven't read much about specific ages, only general things." She smiled at him. "Tell me more?"

"All right. In the major species of youkai, such as wolves, dogs, kitsune, panda, etc., we have a growth period. From the time we are born to age twenty years, we age just like a human would."

"And after that?" Rin prompted after he hadn't spoken for a few moments.

"When we reach twenty, youkai age one year in fifty. For hanyou, it is one in twenty-five. Half the blood, half the lifespan. My father is thirty-five in human years. But if he stopped growing as a human would at twenty and aged as a youkai..."

Rin did a quick bit of math in her head. "One year in fifty. Thirty-five minus twenty leaves fifteen. Half of fifteen is seven point five so he would be..." Her eyes widened.

"Yes. My father was born seven hundred and seventy years ago." He watched for her reaction.

"How old are you?" she blurted out.

"I'm twenty-nine in human terms. Nine divided by two is four point five. So I'm four hundred and seventy years old."

Rin stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'm dating someone who was born back in 1538?" she screeched.

He nodded. "Yes."

She blinked a few times. "Huh."

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly. "I'll understand if the age difference really is too much now."

Rin looked at him in shock. "I've already said that it doesn't. Why would it now? Even if you are old enough to be... Oh, great. How am I going to explain this to my parents?"

"You haven't told them about...?" He let the sentence trail off.

"My parents are scientists and five years apart themselves," she said dryly. "They said I was carrying on the family tradition when I told them about you. They can handle nine years, but four hundred and seventy?" She shook her head. "Whew. What I haven't told them is the whole magic/youkai thing. I couldn't figure out a way to phrase it without sounding like a nutcase."

"It is something one needs to see. You're not angry?" She shook her head. "Upset?"

She frowned. "Shocked could be the right term. How old is Izayoi?"

"She is over two hundred. I don't know exactly."

"So she's bound to Inutaisho's energy then?" Sesshoumaru nodded. Rin's eyes widened. "That means..."

"What?" he asked.

"She lived through the Meiji period. And Inutaisho was present during the Feudal Era. No. Wait. He was there before Christopher Columbus discovered America!" She jumped up and down. "I wonder if he has any old papers from that period. Do you think he'd sit down and tell me stories?"

Sesshoumaru laughed. He couldn't stop until Rin stamped her foot at him. "It's not funny!"

He slowly got himself under control and they began walking again. "If you're that interested, he loves to tell stories about the past. I'm sure that he'll let you look around his library as long as you're careful. As for stories, I've seen quite a lot, including the Meiji, Industrial Revolution, wars, and such."

"Oh, you're just a walking history book," she said easily. "I can't believe you've kept this from me for years!"

"I didn't think you'd be so enthusiastic," he told her dryly.

They reached the house and walked inside. Inuyasha and Kagome were curled up on the couch watching a movie. "Hi," Kagome said. Inuyasha glanced over and then back at the television.

Rin stared at him and then looked back at Sesshoumaru. "If you're that old, how old is he?" she said, pointing at the younger brother.

"Old?" Sess sighed. "I can see this is going to take some getting used to."

Inuyasha let out a short bark of laughter. "You finally told her, hm?"

Kagome frowned. "Is this an in joke that I'm not getting?"

"Yup," he said. "I'll explain in a minute. Rin, hanyou age one year in twenty-five. I just reached twenty years old in 2006. I won't be the human age of twenty-one for another twenty-three years."

Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"

"You didn't know?" Inuyasha said lazily. "My, my, what are they teaching you youngsters these days?"

She swatted him. "Explain!"

"I already did. You're two years older than I am. Aren't you lucky?"

"How?"

"My aging process slowed down to a crawl after I reached twenty. Yours didn't. You're a human twenty-two and I'm a human twenty, even though I've lived for twenty-two years. The up side to this is that my life expectancy is... If we project that I'm going to live to be somewhere between 70-90 years old human years, in hanyou years I'll be 1250-1750."

Inuyasha pointed at Sess. "With the same estimate in human years, he'll be 2500-3500 years old."

Rin blinked. "Okay, this is getting to be too much math."

Kagome held up a hand. "One thing I've got to know first. How old are Inutaisho, Izayoi, and Sesshoumaru?"

"Dad's 770 years old, Mom's 200-something, and Sess's 470 years old." Inuyasha grinned. "Going to have a faint?"

She scowled at him. "No, but I am going to get a cookie. Now I know why he's such a good cook. He's had all those years to practice."

"That goes double on the cookie comment for me," Rin declared and followed her into the kitchen.

"So," Inuyasha said to his brother, "how'd it go?"

He shrugged. "She wants to corner Father for old stories about the Feudal era of Japan." Inuyasha stared and started to laugh.


	87. Chapter 87

**I'm overjoyed to see so many people are enjoying Moonsilver's story.**

**Here we are, the home stretch: Final four chapters!**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 87<br>Parents

"Have you got everything?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking inside the car.

"Yes," Inuyasha said. He rolled his eyes at his older brother. "I've got the keys in my right front pocket. My wallet with my driver's license, credit card, and money is in my right back pocket. I have a jar full of change for tolls in the front console. There's a cooler full of sodas, sandwiches, and ice behind the passenger's seat. In back of my seat, there's a paper bag full of cookies, candy, and chips."

He looked in the back compartment. "I've packed a suitcase full of clothes and a duffel bag of other stuff. There's plenty of room for Kagome's clothes that she's taking home. I've got the cellphone in the front console and it is full charged. We'll be fine."

"I'm not that worried," Sess said smiling. "You've already said you'll call me when you get there. It's only an eight hour drive and Kagome has the directions. The real question is... Are you ready to meet her parents?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "She's met mine."

"Going to tell her?"

He sighed. "I guess. She should know everything."

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Kagome hauled down the last box and slung it into the back. "Okay, I think we're ready to go."

"Got the directions?"

"On the front seat," she said, closing the back hatch. She got in, fished around for a soda, and pointed down the road. "Let's get going so I can show you off."

He groaned and pulled away from the sidewalk. "You are not."

"Why not? Are you insecure about your looks?"

"It's embarrassing."

"Awww..." Kagome reached out and patted him on the head. "I won't do it then. Actually, I wasn't going to in the first place. I've got to introduce you to my family, though. Is that too embarrassing?"

"I'm thinking of asking what you got into when you were younger."

She snorted. "You've seen me on campus. You know what I look like first thing in the morning. Let me name just a few things... Incubus. Movie Night. Bouncing heart balloon."

"You're right. What did you do before you had most of the male population of the campus after you?"

She sighed and leaned back in her seat. "I had a lot less trash. Turn left and go towards Whipper's."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were driving through Massachusetts when Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Um, Kagome? You know the whole age thing?"

"Yeah?"

"There are a few other things you don't know about our family."

She turned to look at him. "You're a werewolf."

Inuyasha had to take a drink of his soda. "No. Wouldn't it be weredog?" He frowned. "Come to think of it, Rin's never seen Sess in his other form. He should do something about that."

"I know I would want to see what he looked like before I committed fully to a relationship."

He glanced at her. "Has she said something?"

"No. They've been dating for five months or so. From what I've heard, it could get serious very quickly."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'll mention it to him. Getting back to my family... You know about the age thing." She nodded. "Do you know how we share our lives?"

"No. I haven't looked."

"Well, it takes place as the marriage ceremony. The youkai pledges to share their energy with their mate. It's fairly a new idea."

"How new?"

"Last couple of centuries."

She nodded. "Very new. Go on. You said there were a few things."

"Yeah." Inuyasha licked his lips. "Dad's almost eight hundred years old. He has a lot of money."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "That's nice, but why would that matter to me?"

"Just getting it out in the open. One of the reasons for that is that he's lived so long. Another reason is... He used to rule part of Japan."

Kagome blinked. "What?"

"Dad used to rule the Western lands of Japan. He doesn't rule right now. Or not exactly. He kind of governs it and makes sure that it runs right." He shrugged. "Sess used to help him out in the old days, but then he decided to be a doctor."

"So what does he do now?"

"He works at the mage university in the health center."

"Your dad!"

"He goes back and forth between Japan and the U.S. There's a whole network set up over in Japan. He only has to be there for yearly and monthly meetings. Oh, and emergencies. The rest of the time, he's over here. They live in Vermont."

Kagome sighed. "Your dad's rich, powerful, and almost eight hundred years old. I'm beginning to think that your family's as weird as mine."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"About another minute and we'll be there." Kagome grinned at Inuyasha. "Just park in the driveway and we'll go in."

"You are enjoying this far too much," he grumbled.

She nodded and kept smiling as they found the right house. The car's engine cut off and Kagome climbed out of the passenger's seat. "Come on," she said, walking quickly around the car to his side.

"Is it too late to drive back home?" he whispered. She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to take it that means yes."

"Kagome!" Her mother came outside and smiled at them. "Do you need help with your things?" She nodded and Umeko turned toward the door. "Aki! Souta!"

Inuyasha started toward the back of the car and opened the hatch. He lifted a box while Kagome got her clothes that she'd wear while she was here. A man of medium height came outside with a teenager who looked similar. He smiled at Inuyasha and hugged Kagome. "Welcome home, sweetheart," he said. "Boxes yours?" She nodded and he hefted one.

Souta grinned at his sister. "You have no idea what awaits you inside that house," he said spookily. "Nice to meet you, Inuyasha. Don't mind the parents. Mom's trying to overload the refrigerator with food and Dad's been inside all day figuring out something. He says it's too complicated to explain." He reached for a box and said, "Follow me."

Inuyasha shrugged and followed him. "Nice to meet you, too. Why does Kagome have to have so many clothes?"

"Don't ask me. I'm happy with a pair of jeans and a shirt. Shoes are optional."

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Once all the boxes and everything was settled, Kagome showed Inuyasha one of the guest rooms. They went downstairs after he had the tour of the upstairs. "Dad should be in the study room slash library."

"Wrong," he said cheerfully, poking his head out of the kitchen. "I'm tasting your mother's cooking."

"And doing it without my permission which means if he doesn't dodge quick enough, he'll get smacked with the spoon!"

Inuyasha chuckled. "Sounds like my kitchen."

"Your mother's the same way?" she asked as they walked in.

"No, my brother."

She stirred something and walked over. "I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself. I'm Umeko." She nodded toward the man who had a biscuit in his hand. "That's Aki. Souta's around somewhere..."

"We've met," Inuyasha said. "Inuyasha."

"It's good to meet Kagome's friends. Sango's been here over the summer sometimes, but..." She shrugged. "You should bring more of them home, Kagome."

"You'll get to meet everyone in a month or so," she said, looking hungrily at the pan of biscuits.

"If you wait fifteen minutes, everything will be done," Umeko cautioned. "Get a glass of something out of the refrigerator."

Kagome hurried to do that and asked Inuyasha what he wanted. Soon, they had juice and dinner was finished. Souta came in before Umeko had a chance to call him.

"Kagome's told us all about you, Inuyasha," she said, taking a forkful of chicken. "So I imagine you'd prefer it to be an even exchange. I'm the previous Source and I remember what a pain in the neck it was. At the moment, I'm working on another calendar. I draw pictures and there's a company that makes them into calendars and things like that."

"Souta's working on high school with a Ph.D. in mischief." She grinned at him. "Aki's a spell analyzer."  
>"So," she continued, "anything interesting happen lately?"<p>

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

About halfway through their vacation, Kagome showed Inuyasha the little well house on their property. They stood at the top of the stairs and looked down. "I was fifteen," she told him. "Our cat hadn't been seen for a while and Souta thought he had heard something."

"So I was startled when I heard Buyo up here. I looked down and the next thing I knew Dad was pulling me outside." She shrugged. "He won't tell me what happened, only that I almost triggered something I shouldn't have."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sir?"

Aki turned toward the door. "Inuyasha, you know I've told you to call me Aki."

He walked inside. "I thought I'd better be really polite. I've got something important to ask."

Aki raised an eyebrow. "Oh. This talk, hm?" Inuyasha started to blush. Aki chuckled at him. "Is it about Kagome?" Inuyasha nodded. "Go ahead and try not to stumble over it too much."

"I want to ask Kagome to marry me."

Aki nodded. "A very serious commitment. Knowing that I'm going to say that a decision like that is up to you and Kagome, did you want to talk about it?"

Inuyasha blinked "About what?"

"If she says yes, what are you going to do after that?" He waved the younger man toward the seat across from him.

Inuyasha sat down. "I'm going to finish college."

"After graduation?"

"I have applications in to a few companies. Research."

Aki smiled. "So you have plans, they're just up in the air at the moment. You want to be engaged, but what happens if you both graduate and neither of you have a job?"

"I'll stay with my brother until I do and Kagome will probably come back home." Inuyasha shrugged. "People with my major don't stay unemployed for too long."

"You're right about that."

"With the instant transportation, I'll move wherever Kagome finds work."

"The plan is sound. It's fine with me, if that's what you want to hear." He laughed as Inuyasha relaxed. "Oh, it's plain to see how she feels about you. Did you really think I'd say anything against it? It is the Source's choice after all."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well?" she demanded as soon as they were out of sight. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," Inuyasha said with a grin. "It wasn't. They're very nice. Of course," he glanced at her, "they'd have to be for you to be their daughter." She rolled her eyes and smiled at him.


	88. Chapter 88

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 88<br>A Walk in the Woods

It was during a commercial break that Sess brought up the subject. "Inuyasha and I are going to go on a trip this weekend," he said carefully.

"Oh? Where are you going?" She reached for her drink and looked at him curiously.

"A few hours northwest of here. It's above a town called Jackman." His eyes examined his socks. Hm, he'd better retire this pair. It was getting threadbare.

"Sounds nice."

He cleared his throat. "Actually, Inuyasha's going to ask Kagome and I wanted to know if you wanted to come along. It's a three hour drive and we'll stay at a cabin on Saturday night. There's a few shops around there we could look at."

Rin frowned. "As far as I know, Jackman is pretty far out. There's a cabin and a few stores? Are you going to be communing with nature?"

Sesshoumaru smiled. "Yes. That's the other reason I wanted to invite you. You know that I have another form?"

She nodded. "Four stories tall if I remember correctly," she said cheerfully.

"There aren't many people around where we're going. I can use that form there if I set up a particular spell that will render me invisible to anyone who might see me. It's similar to the spell that the familiars use. And insubstantial to things like snowmobilers." He smiled at her. "I want you to see."

Rin blinked. "Okay. Have you got this idea in your head that I won't like you anymore just because I see you as a dog?" Sesshoumaru didn't answer and Rin began to laugh. "You're Sess. You'll still be you even if you're a really big dog."

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After a three hour car ride, they finally arrived at Sally Mountain Cabins. Sesshoumaru paid for the night and drove to the cabin they had rented. While the girls took turns using the bathroom, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked at the cabin. They'd need a few groceries since the town was sparse. They could get a pizza at the local store and he'd packed enough sandwiches for them to have lunch. They could drive down the road to look for a restaurant to have breakfast.

The guys took their turns and the girls found where they'd be sleeping. Kagome snickered. "A choice between bunk beds and big beds. Hm..."

"Well, you could always share with Inuyasha," Rin teased.

Kagome shrugged. "Might. If I can convince him that I'm not going to ravish him in the middle of the night."

Rin rolled her eyes. "I think I'll stick to the bunk beds if it's all the same."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sesshoumaru finished laying down the complicated spell. He had to let three other people see him, but not anyone else. The same thing happened with not letting anyone else be able to touch him, either. There was always the possibility of someone driving a snowmobile coming along and hitting one of his legs.

"Ready?" he said.

Inuyasha sighed. "I've already seen it. Lots of times."

"You're just jealous."

"That I don't transform into a dog? I've already got the ears, I don't need the fleas."

"I have never had fleas in my entire life!" Sesshoumaru said haughtily. He began walking away.

Rin took a step forward to go after him, but Inuyasha shook his head. "He needs the room," he explained.

She nodded and watched as his form began to melt and elongate. His white hair flowed out behind him and became something else. Rin watched the whole transformation from man to dog and she stared at the finished product.

Sesshoumaru turned his head in their direction. Considering them for a few moments, he sat down and then laid his front paws on the snow. He rested his head on his paws and waited.

Rin took a hesitant step forward and then another when he didn't move. She walked to him with confidence and reached out a hand. She jerked it back and winced. Geez, Rin, that's rude. Just touch the guy because he's a dog?

"Sess? Is it all right?" she said softly.

The dog looked at Inuyasha. He sighed. "He can't talk right now, Rin. He doesn't have the vocal cords for human speech." Inuyasha grinned. "But we both speak youkai, so you've got a translator."

"Can I touch him?" Rin asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "That's what we're out here for."

Rin reached out a hand and stroked the soft fur that was Sesshoumaru's paw. "Oh, wow," she said. "I wonder how fast you can go. Is your anatomy like a normal dog's or is it improved because you're a youkai?"

Sesshoumaru made a sound and Rin jerked her hand back. "What? What did I do?" she said, looking back and forth between Inuyasha and his brother.

Inuyasha smirked. "That... is the sound of a dog laughing."

Rin glared at Sesshoumaru. "So I'm curious. That is nothing to laugh about."

Sess whuffed and Inuyasha sighed. He started forward and said, "Kagome, don't get jealous about this. It's his idea, not mine."

"Wha-?" That was all Rin had time to say before Inuyasha had grabbed her, jumped into the air, and landed on Sesshoumaru's back.

"Hold onto the fur. Grab as hard as you want because he'd rather have that than you falling off," Inuyasha advised. He jumped down and Rin stared at the ground.

Sess stood up carefully and Rin grabbed for his back. "No," she said, shaking her head. "You lay back down right now."

He didn't pay any attention to her, but began to walk softly around in a circle. When they passed Inuyasha again, he yelled up to Rin. "Look around! He doesn't give rides to everyone!"

With that advice, she lifted her head. She hadn't fallen off so far and... The trees were almost level with her head. She could see for a long distance and the snow sparkled.

"Hey, wait a minute," she said to herself. "What about the footprints?" She twisted in place and saw that they weren't leaving any tracks.

Sesshoumaru laid back down again and Rin moved. "Uh-uh," Inuyasha said. "You're supposed to stay up there." Inuyasha grinned at Kagome.

"Oh, no," she said, holding up her hands in defense. "No way are you-" He picked her up and she screeched. "Inuyasha, you put me down or I'll tip you into the Bog of Eternal Stench!"

"Last I checked, you weren't the Goblin King," he told her and leapt onto Sesshoumaru's back. He got her situated and Sess began to walk off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They ordered pizza for dinner and when they had finished, Kagome announced that she was going out for a walk. Inuyasha shrugged. "I'll come with you. You never know what's out there."

"Like what?" Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru smiled. "The last time we were here, I went down to the pond one morning. There was a bear not twenty feet from me. Inuyasha's enough to scare anything away."

Kagome glanced at the door and swallowed hard. "The things I do to give you some privacy," she muttered. She and Inuyasha walked out the door.

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru. "Well? I didn't freak out. I've seen you in your dog form."

He nodded. "And now is the time to talk."

"About what?"

"We've been dating for six months," Sesshoumaru began. "I'm very much in love with you. I wanted to ask about your plans for the future."

"To graduate college," she said immediately. "We've talked about this."

"We've spoken of college, far future plans of an advanced degree, a house, children..." He smiled and said, "We haven't talked about marriage."

Rin nodded slowly. "I don't think we've touched on that subject."

"Would you like to think about it?"

"What is there to think about?" she said puzzled. "We're in a relationship, I love you, and we're talking about it. What do you want me to think about specifically?"

"Marrying me."

Rin stopped breathing for a moment. "You want me to think about marrying you?"

"Yes."

"No." This time Sesshoumaru stopped. "I don't have to think about it," she continued. "I'd love to marry you. We just have to figure out when."

He blinked a few times. "Did you just agree to marry me?"

"Sure did."

"Ah. That's what I thought. Well." He reached for his soda. "Hm."

"Do you need to think about it?" Rin said, enjoying herself.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then we'd better talk about the details."

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Inuyasha winced as Kagome stepped on a branch. "So what did you want to give them privacy for?" he asked.

"To talk. This is a big step for them." She looked up. "Isn't that a great moon?"

"Half over then."

"Hm?" she said, glancing at him.

"Last secret. My human night is on the new moon."

She grinned. "Sess shows Rin his other form, you're telling me one of your biggest weaknesses. Are you two working toward something?"

He coughed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not really." Kagome continued walking. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. To take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great."

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave," Inuyasha said hoarsely.

Kagome turned toward him, a triumphant look in her eyes. "You have no power over me." She grinned. "Do you think he was really offering her something?"

"If you look at it the right way, he had already said he had lived up to her expectations of him. It was already known that he was in love with her." Inuyasha swallowed. "That last line... He was kind of asking her to be his."

Kagome nodded. "It's sad that they didn't." She sighed and looked up at the moon.

Inuyasha came closer and reached for her. Their lips meant in a gentle kiss and he whispered, "You don't know what I'm asking you."

She frowned. "What are you asking?"

"I'm asking you to marry me."

Kagome's frown fell and she stared at him. "What?"

He looked away. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." He looked back in the direction of the cabin. "Did you want to go back?"

"Oh, no, you don't. You're not going to wiggle out of this one. You just asked me to..." She stopped. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you ask?"

Inuyasha threw his hands into the air. "Because I love you. We're going to graduate soon. I wanted to say that I want to make a life with you instead of letting you leave."

"So this is just an offer because you don't want to let me go."

"Do you want to go?" He stared at her. "Kagome, if you weren't happy with me, why didn't you say something?"

She held up a hand. "This has the potential to get really sticky." He laughed. "Let's sort this out. You want to marry me because you love me. It's not because of graduation; it's because you truly want us to be together. It wouldn't matter if graduation were another year away?"

"Of course it would matter! But we're graduating now. You won't be back next year. I don't want this to be a 'college years' romance, I want forever!" he said loudly.

Kagome grinned. "Yes."

"What?" he said dumbfounded.

"I love you and I'll marry you because I want to." She frowned. "Though, I think you could've proposed in a way a little clearer than that. I love the line, but it's somewhat obscured."

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They went back to the cabin and Rin bounced over to Kagome. "Guess what? I'm engaged!"

Kagome stared. "Me, too."

Rin stopped bouncing and looked at Kagome. "You mean... They both asked us at the same time?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Did you synchronize your watches?"

"Nope," he said. "I was going to ask you the next time I got you alone."

"The same," Sesshoumaru said. "But I think we're two lucky gentlemen."


	89. Chapter 89

**Disclaimer: Story by Moonsilver, no editing was done.**

**Next chapter, the last chapter, is a time skip/epilogue. Notes at the end (instead of the beginning like I've been doing).**

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These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 89<br>The Wedding

"I am so glad my finals are over," Kagome announced on Thursday.

"Lucky you," Sango grumbled. "I've still got one."

They were all relaxing in Sesshoumaru's living room. Sango was the only one left with a final to take. "One down," Kagome said. "And almost down for Sango."

Kagome sighed. "Three more to go."

"Tomorrow we help you move," Inuyasha said, squeezing her hand gently.

"It's definitely going to be an exhausting day," she said, smiling back. "Me, Rin, Thea, and Shippo have to be moved out of the dorms."

"We're going to be extremely lucky to get all of your things to the right person," Sesshoumaru said. "Even if I did buy the big post-its to stick on your things. Each one of you is going to get a color and we'll pile all the boxes in separate places."

"Kagome gets my bed, I get the floor. Rin gets Sess's bed and he gets the couch. Shippo gets to curl up on the loveseat while Thea gets the spare bedroom. Fine with me," Inuyasha said.

"I'd offer my spare bedrooms, but my family's going to be using them," Sango said apologetically.

"And my apartment doesn't come with spare rooms." Miroku glanced at Sango. "I'll have to figure something out soon."

She sighed. "This guy thinks I'm going to be barefoot and pregnant all the time. Could someone tell him that we're not in feudal Japan?"

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Kagome and Rin's room had been tackled first. Kagome got blue post-its on her boxes and things. Rin got yellow post-its. They hauled some of the boxes down and put them in Sess's car. He drove them to his house and Inuyasha and Shippo put them in a pile. Sess drove back and picked up more boxes. Shippo was upstairs with Thea, getting her things sorted out.

The only things left out were Saturday's clothes with their graduation things, Sunday's clothes with the wedding outfits, and another change of clothes for Monday. Bath things and personal items weren't packed. They both had their backpacks full of books and small things they'd need.

On Kagome's empty desk was a pile of library books. Rin went up to help Thea and Shippo while Kagome made a quick trip to the library.

Myouga looked up as she walked in and smiled. "Kagome," he said warmly. "I wanted to know if you'd found a job yet." She shook her head. "We've just had an opening and I thought you might apply. We're looking for someone with your degree and I think you'd do well here."

"Yes, I'll apply." He got her the application and wished her well at her graduation tomorrow.

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By the time she got back to her dorm, everyone had left for Shippo's. She tracked them down there and helped out with the packing.

After everyone's rooms had been disassembled, it was mid-afternoon. The work had been distributed between six people, so no one person was really tired or sore. Sesshoumaru declared that it was done and they had a late lunch/early dinner. Since their rooms were very empty, everyone decided to stay at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's house that night.

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"Kagome, have you seen my perfume?"

"Sess, where'd you put my robe?"

"What time is it?"

These were just a few of the questions flying around the house the next morning. Eventually, Rin found her perfume, Inuyasha was directed to the upstairs closet, and everyone made it to the first ceremony on time.

Rin, Kagome, and Sango were all graduating from the normal university which meant that the other five in their group were watching the ceremony. Sango's mom was there, but Kagome and Rin had no idea where their families were in the sea of seats. They had made arrangements to meet at the Special when the ceremony was over. The normal university's graduation ceremony was listed to run from nine to eleven thirty that morning. The mage university's ceremony was scheduled for two to four.

Inuyasha's nose led him to Kagome after it was all over. "That was the most boring ceremony," he complained.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You really thought so?"

"Yeah. How did you stand it? Me and Shippo kept making comments through the whole thing."

Kagome grinned and unzipped the gown. She pointed to a small rectangular pouch. "Easy. I pulled out a book and started reading."

Inuyasha stared. "Can I borrow that today?" he asked finally. She laughed and nodded. "Come on, I said I'd find you. I'm hungry!"

Sesshoumaru had waited with everyone else at the corner. "Look who I found," he said.

"Kagome!" her mother said happily. "I saw you. Oh, I'm so proud of you!" She wrapped her daughter in a hug. Rin was getting the same treatment from her family.

When pictures had been taken and robes had finally seen their moment, they continued on to the Special.

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"I enjoyed yours better," Kagome said.

Inuyasha snorted. "How could you not? We had one speech which was summed up in a few sentences." He cleared his throat. "You've graduated. We're proud of you. Go use what you've learned and be happy."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. That sounded much better than the 'inspirational' speeches we were supposed to listen to."

Everyone's parents had gone home for the evening except for Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's. They had gotten in late and had already gone to bed.

"So." Kagome looked over at Sango. "Wedding jitters?"

"Nope," she said smugly. "Not a one. Tomorrow I'm going to wiggle into a nice dress, stand in front of a justice of the peace, and say a few words. Mom, Kaede, and a few other people are helping with the kitchen. All I have to do is show up, get my relatives situated, and not stress."

Miroku smiled. "There isn't anything for you to be stressed over. Everyone's moved out of their dorms, finals are over, we've both graduated-" The smile slid from Miroku's face. A dawning horror began in his eyes. He looked anxiously at Sango. "We've got to call off the wedding."

Sango blinked at him. "What?" she said, frowning.

"Put it off until Monday. We'll say you had a 24-hour bug or something." Miroku spoke rapidly. He looked at Sesshoumaru. "You know what tomorrow is. Help me."

Sess slowly shook his head. "No... What is tomorrow?"

Miroku slumped in his seat. "Tomorrow? Day after graduation? All the students have gone home, leaving only the professors on campus?"

Sesshoumaru finally realized what Miroku was talking about. He looked directly at Sango. "He's right. Call it off."

Sango looked back and forth between the two of them. "One of you is going to tell me why," she said quietly. "I am not disrupting our wedding without a good reason."

"Oh, it's good," Miroku said. "Picture this. You put both good mages and dark mages in the same school. They've got to deal with each other from September to May. You tell them to play nice. If they didn't, it would be catastrophic."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Let me talk for a minute. You're getting carried away. You've got two opposing sides in the mage university. Some of them like each other, but you've got a lot of enemies, too. There's a permanent truce during the school year. Once the students are gone, it's open season."

He smiled. "It used to be less regulated, of course. Now it occurs on the day after graduation and lasts from eight in the morning until five at night. Any spells that are cast cannot last after five p.m. They can't cause permanent harm. The spells can't be seen by people who don't know what they're seeing and they won't affect anyone who gets in the way."

Sango looked confused. "What does this have to do with the wedding?"

"We invited a lot of the faculty," Miroku told her. "Normally it's contained to the campus and the mage's home because that's where the mages are at the time."

"But the mages are going to be at the wedding," Sango said, nodding. "What kind of stuff happens?"

"Duels, sword-fighting, spells," Sesshoumaru said. "I'm usually exempt because I need to patch people up."

"And I haven't been teaching this year, so I won't be in it," Miroku assured her. "It's just the people around us. Officially, it's called the Mage University's End of the Year Free For All or free for all, for short."

Sango shrugged. "I'm not canceling the wedding because a few mages are going to throw spells around. Anyone who tries to fool with my wedding will have a size nine breaking their wand."

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"Can I take it back?" Sango near-wailed.

Kagome patted her on the head. "No. You've only got an hour and a half until you're in saying 'I do'."

"Promise me that the next time I don't take Miroku's advice on something of a magical nature, you'll hit me with a pillow."

"I promise. It's really not that bad."

Sango stared at her. "Where have you been? Ryoga got into a fight with Ranma in the parking lot about something. He kept talking about a pig. Sanosuke broke it up, but ended up doing some martial arts thing against Ryoga. Saitou got into a sword fight against Tokiya Mikagami. Shampoo and Mousse are having relationship problems so they started yelling at each other and throwing little rubber fish. And that was just in the parking lot!"

Kagome shrugged. "Go home and have a bath. It's almost time for you to get dressed. I'll be up in an hour." Sango looked back at the Special and took Kagome's advice.

Rin ran out the back door and panted. "Kagome," she said anxiously. "Great timing. Someone's been kidnaped."

Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"

"Some blond girl. Shippo said he'd try to find someone who could track her down. I think he said her name was... Relena?" She gave her former roommate a pleading look. "Could you go find Duo and tell him?"

"Sure." Kagome ran off.

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"Be mine, Akane!"

"I'm married, Kuno!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. Those two never change. He looked around for the missing object. The topper for the wedding cake had gone missing.

"Looking for this?"

The topper dangled in front of him. He looked up and smiled at Ryoko. "Yes. Where did you find it?"

"Ryo-ohki ran off with it." Ryoko hopped down. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to go hex Nagi. Can you believe she started those rumors about that cave again? I'm going to go fill her shoes with swamp water."

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"How does it work?"

Kaoru Koganei shrugged. "Alchemy."

"How interesting," Skuld muttered, examining the weapon.

Inuyasha slid past them. It was best not to disturb those two.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" He turned. "Have you seen Duo? Someone told me to look for him."

He shrugged. "I haven't seen him, Shippo. The only thing I have seen is Une carrying some roses looking for Treize."

Shippo sighed. "Relena's been kidnaped and I have to find someone who can go find her."

"Kidnaped!?"

"As far as I can tell, it's not serious because it happens all the time." Shippo watched as Howard put out a fire from Recca fighting with Kurei. "I hope this place doesn't get damaged."

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Kagome sighed. She hadn't found Duo yet. She had seen Mihoshi and Kiyone chasing an experiment of Washu's. Aoshi, Misao, and Cologne were having a quiet conversation in one of the booths. She walked upstairs and looked around.

"Hi. Time for the ceremony?"

She smiled. "No, but I have been looking for you. Relena's been kidnaped."

"Again? Girl can't go anywhere." Duo swallowed the last of his drink and stood up. "We'll find Heero and he'll go after her. Last time it took him ten minutes flat to have her back without a hair out of place."

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Relena was back in time for the wedding. She'd been kidnaped by a passing random villain. Sango was bathed and dressed. She came in the back entrance to take one last look at the cake.

"I challenge you to a duel."

Kenshin sighed and looked at Shishio. "Can't it wait until I frost the last bit of this cake?"

"Yes," Sango said firmly. She walked into the room and pointed a finger at the bandaged man. "You do one thing to harm that cake or my wedding and I'll do something terrible to you."

"Such as?"

"She'll find the Tenken and make him smile at you forever," Miroku said calmly. "Honey, I know I'm not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, but you look beautiful."

"Thank you. Same to you."

Kenshin frosted the cake and looked at it happily. "All done! Now you can go say your vows."

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Sango and Miroku got to the altar and the justice of the peace started to speak. About halfway through, he began speaking gibberish and then fainted. "What-" Miroku began.

Sesshoumaru got up and diagnosed the poor man. "Spell that went wild," he said. "He'll be out for an hour. It would be best if we put a memory erase spell on him so that he doesn't remember this."

"Then who's going to marry us?" Sango asked.

Hiko reluctantly raised a hand. "I'm certified." He walked up to the front and began where the other man left off. Sango and Miroku were extremely happy to be married and everyone hurried to the reception.

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Kagome sighed. "Someone needs to make a chart of who did what to whom at that wedding."

Thea pushed a lock of hair out of the way. "I'm busy packing. Plus, I don't know most of the people who were at the wedding."

It was four in the afternoon and only a few of them were left. Rin and Shippo had gone home an hour ago. Sango and Miroku were off on their honeymoon. Sesshoumaru was in the kitchen fixing a small dinner. Inuyasha was helping the two girls carry their things out to the cars.

"Well, Skuld and Urd started fighting. They're sisters. Duo was preventing Naraku from flooding the reception with the walking dead. Wufei finally had to threaten Naraku to make him leave. I think that was the end of the festivities."

Thea was quiet for a few minutes. "Am I ever going to see any of you again?"

Kagome grinned. "Sango and Miroku are going to be in town. Miroku's teaching at the mage university and Sango's looking right now. Sesshoumaru's working at the mage university. Rin and Sess have an arrangement. They're engaged and Rin's going to look for work in this area. She has six months to find something. If she has a job in two months, she moves up here and they get married. If she doesn't, she still moves up here and marries Sess. Inuyasha and I have the same agreement."

"Shippo's coming back next year to get his master's degree," Thea said.

Kagome nodded. "So the only ones who might not be here are Inuyasha and I. It depends on where I get a job. But Myouga, the head librarian for the mage university, wanted me to fill out an application, so..."

"Hey, Kagome! Your parents are ready," Inuyasha called from the porch. She smiled at Thea and said good-bye to Sess.

"I'm going to miss you," Inuyasha told her when she stepped outside.

"Me, too. I'll call you when I get home." She pulled him down for a lengthy kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." They smiled at each other and Kagome walked to the waiting car.


	90. Chapter 90

These characters do not belong to me, but the story does!

Source of Magic  
>Chapter 90<br>First Day of a New Generation

"It isn't fair," Sango said, putting their drinks down in front of them. She slid into the booth beside Miroku.

Kagome grinned and raised her glass. "I still remember how you look without the wrinkles, Sango," she teased.

Sango sniffed disdainfully. "I can't say the same."

Kagome smiled and drank from her glass. The Special hadn't changed much in twenty-five years. A few of the tables and curtains had been replaced. The food was just as good. "So when is Kaede officially retiring?" she asked.

Sango shook her head. "Never. Stephan is taking over more and more, but she's says she's never going to quit. I'm not going to tell her she can't work here."

"She'd poison your food if you did," Inuyasha said.

While the others tossed comments back and forth, Kagome did a bit of thinking. Twenty-five years, she mused. Physically, I've aged a year. She smirked. Still a year older than Inuyasha. Why didn't he tell me before I reached twenty-two?

She glanced to her right. Rin sat there with Sesshoumaru by her side. Rin was twenty-one, the same as Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru stayed twenty-nine and they wouldn't age another year until after another twenty-five years.

She bit her lip. Sango and Miroku were already fifty-three. They might not live until then. They'd have to be seventy-eight.

Shippo laughed at something and Kagome smiled. He had married Thea and they were both twenty-one. They'd age as slowly as Sesshoumaru and Rin.

Stephan, who looked just like his father Miroku, came up the stairs with their order. Sango and Miroku had three children, two boys and a girl. Stephan hadn't liked the idea of college. He had said at an early age that he wanted the restaurant. Kaede had taken him into the kitchen and he had taken to it well.

Jay had been in college for two years already, studying at the mage university for construction of magical artifacts. He would start his third year tomorrow. He was twenty and his brother Stephan was twenty-three. Miranda, Sango and Miroku's third and final child, was eighteen. She was starting her first year of college with her major in illusions.

"Mom! Look!" Jillian, Thea and Shippo's only child, held out a potato shaped like a rose.

"I've got one, too!" Minoru offered his prize for Sesshoumaru's inspection.

Kagome grinned. The two nine-year-olds, Jillian and Minoru. Thea and Rin had been pregnant at the same time and had them two months apart. Minoru was Rin and Sess's youngest. Echiko was fourteen and driving her father nuts. She wanted to be a doctor, too. It led to some interesting questions. Brianne, in her second year of college at nineteen, was pursuing a degree at the mage university in magical creatures and their care.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. Both of their children were battle mages. Hayato was in his third year and Kira would be starting tomorrow.

"Kagome?"

She looked at Sango. "Yes?"

"How do you think tomorrow will go?"

Kagome shrugged and reached for her glass. "Depends on how graceful Kira is."

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Kagome looked out the window again. Inuyasha came out of the kitchen and laughed. "Are you still there?"

She looked a little sheepish. "I'm worried."

"Why?" Inuyasha chuckled as he walked toward her. "She'll be fine."

"I just remember what I went through."

"She's not living on campus and we're not going to tolerate any of the mail that you got. Anyone tries to get into this house... The wards are top-notch." Inuyasha gave her a hug and a kiss. His ears perked up. "Besides, I think she's fine."

Kagome turned to look out the window. She groaned. "Oh, no..."

Kira was walking down the sidewalk with a group of four boys following behind her. One was out to the side, not walking beside her or with the guys.

Kagome watched as one of them offered her a bouquet of flowers that she pushed aside. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could imagine. Date me, study date, etc.

They finally reached the front of the house when the boy with the flowers jumped in front of her. He stuck the flowers right in her face and said, "Please accept these as a token of my affection."

"You shouldn't do that," the boy off to the side said.

Kira couldn't see anything but flowers. She didn't inhale in case they had something in them. She raised her right hand and slowly pushed them out of the way. Looking at the young man, she pursed her lips. "You are annoying. You've been following me ever since my last class and offering me flowers that have who knows what spell on them. You didn't think I could tell? I don't know what spell it is, but they've definitely got one."

She nodded. "Let's see. You've annoyed me. You and your friends are stalking me. You're attempting to bespell me."

Kira smirked at him. "You are messing with the wrong person." She pointed a finger at him. "Frog."

The flowers dropped to the sidewalk and she stepped over a pile of empty clothes. The guy to the side shook his head. Addressing the frog, he said, "I told you it was kind of a bad idea."

He followed her up onto the porch and jerked a thumb back at the sidewalk. "He's going to have a hard time getting home."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess so." She frowned at the clothes. "Well, I can't say 'man' or 'boy'. I guess we'll stick with the old stand-by of 'human'."

He transformed back but he was naked. She covered her eyes and reached for the doorknob. "I don't want to see," she chanted.

They walked inside the house. "If you weren't my sister, I'd be really scared."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. You've got two more years of education ahead of me and Mom and Dad wouldn't feed me for a month."

"Bemusement."

She turned to look at Inuyasha. "Hm?"

"The flowers had a spell of bemusement on them. You would've agreed to a lot of things if you'd smelled them."

Kira grinned. "You and Mom taught me better. Did you see that?" she said excitedly. "I turned him into a frog!"

Kagome shook her head. "I'm glad you got your father's magery instead of mine. I would have loved to have turned Kouga into a frog."

"Hey, just say the word."

"You cannot still be jealous," Kagome said to her husband.

"He still looks at you," Inuyasha said.

Kagome closed her eyes. "I did not need to know that. So how was your first day?"

Kira opened her backpack and pulled out her textbooks. She turned it upside down and emptied out the bottom. She only had two notebooks and two thin textbooks. The rest of the backpack was filled with notes and letters. "I think your legacy continues just fine, Mom."

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This is the end of Source of Magic. Thank you for reading!

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**As Moonsilver said, this is the end of the story and thanks for reading. Final Total: 90 chapters at 138,652 words [including my disclaimers and notes]**

**Leading up to this post, I read through the story and took in everything Moonsilver had written. It's an amazing story, and was one of the first Inuyasha fanfics I read back when I started looking for fanfiction years ago.**

**I hope, as time goes by, more Inuyasha fans find this story and love Moonsilver's writing as much as I did.**

_**FIN**_


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